9 volunteers from Borneo Eco Tours and Borneo Ecotourism Solutions & Technologies (BEST) joined a one day flood crisis relief mission to Kota Marudu and Pitas, northern Sabah on 7th February 2009. The community project was held in collaboration with Skyline (SIB) Church, District offices Borneo Eco Tours and BEST to distribute 940 food and groceries packs to the severely affected areas. A total amount of RM2000.00 was contributed by BEST in this project. A team of doctors also aboard to offer free medical check up for the sick. The team was split into three groups and visited different affected villages around Kota Marudu district and Pitas. Volunteers expressed appreciation for the opportunity to help the local community and eager to be part of future community projects in one of the poorest regions in Malaysia.

September 19th 2010 – The Sukau Medical Camp concluded with success as Doctors, Dentists, Pharmacists and Volunteers attended to a total of 561 patients for various ailments.The Sukau Medical Camp project took place from 16th – 19th September 2010 and was headed by BEST Society with collaboration of Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Sabah (JKNS). The medical Team comprised of Doctors and Pharmacists from Queen Elizabeth Hospital I and II Kota Kinabalu, Likas Women & Children Hospital Kota Kinabalu, and Dentists from the Sandakan Dental Department, assisted by other Volunteers and JKKK Kampung Sukau, Kampung Abai and Kampung Bilit. The objective was to provide medical service to denizens of the Lower Kinabatangan who may have difficulty accessing general healthcare and dental facilities.

Compared to previous (2001 and 2003) Medical Outreach Projects in Sukau by BEST Society that attracted more than 900 people, the project this time round attracted 561 people from surrounding areas and as far as Kg. Bilit. Various ailments and conditions were treated, through te dentist’s station was the busiest , with a long queue for most of the program. It was so popular the dentist ran out of medicine at lunch on the second day.

For this event, BEST Society spent over RM20,000.00 to finance all expenses including medicine, transport, accommodation, meals allowances and rental of facilities. The Borneo Eco Tours contributed by providing awe-inspiring evening river cruises for participants, while the newly renovated and stylish Sukau Rainforest Lodge provided some lodging and meals for volunteers, apart from appointing its own personnel to help out with the running of event.

The Lower Kinabatangan River has been recognized globally as one of the world’s richest regions in terms of biodiversity and is a gazette protected wildlife sanctuary. Known for having the largest concentration of wildlife in South East Asia, the area is populated by the indigenous Orang Sungai who rely on the integrity of this fragile biodiversity for their livelihood. By providing them with basic medical facilities, BEST Society ensures that their deliverance into the modern society is unhindered, while continuously championing the cause for conservation in the area.

Borneo Ecotourism Solutions & Technologies Society (BEST), ConocoPhilps and independent oil and gas exploration and production company and Sky community (SIB Skyline) are initiating a joint-community project in Bengkoka, in the Pitas District on the northern part of Borneo. The newly launched rainwater collection system project provides an alternatives source of drinking and cooking water to the villages along the Bengkoka River. At present , the villagers use local springs of water which involve spending a great deal of hours each day collecting water from the Bengkoka River during dry season. Ironically, with the increasing growth of palm oil plantations further upstream, the water is now deemed unsuitable for consumption due to pollution from pesticides and fertilizers used in plantations as well as soil erosion.The first phase of the project kicked off at Kg. Lugu on 8th September 2012 to supply 16 water tanks each with a capacity of 400 gallons. Kelvin Atkinson, representing Mark Wheeler, the President of ConocoPhilips Malaysia, handed over a check of RM25,280.00 to BEST Society Chairman, Albert Teo to fund this project. Also present at the handover ceremony were Mrs. Atkinson (Sue), community leader oF Kg. Lugu, volunteers from BEST Society and Sky Community.

“The timely financial support from ConocoPhilips reflects the company’s active particiation in various philanthropic projects by donating time, skills and providing financial support to the communities in which they do business” said Mr. Wheeler in his letter to BEST Society. He added that “The company recognize that the most effective corporate philanthropic is achieved by entering into strategic partnerships with agencies and organizations that serve the community”.

All in all, phase 1 and phase 2 of the projcts will benefit the residents of Kg. Lugu and Kg. Pandan respectively, where a total of 25 families or 270 people will have the privilege to enjoy cleaner supply of water. Several villagers who were at the ceremony expressed their appreciation including one of the Kg. Lugu’s leaders, Mijol Sukuan.

“I wish to thank ConocoPhilips, BEST Society and Sky Community for their help here. It’s been a long time since we experience this hardship to get clean water. The water tanks will solve our problem, we are extremely happy”, he said.

The Head of PCS Church, Kg. Lugu, Juin Mojinal also welcomed the initiative of the three organisations. “The help from ConocoPhilips, BEST and Sky Community is a relief for the local community. We are grateful and touched by your concern for the community in remote area here”.

This is the third medical project organized by BEST Society (www.bestsociety.org). The medical project cost a total of RM35,042.36 which include promotion, homestay (RM2,100.00) medicines (RM7,427.86), logistics, accomodation and meals of the volunteers. Main sponsors, KiTA (www.kitaborneo.org) contributed a total of RM20,000.00 with the balance sponsored by BEST Society (RM4,259.56), Sukau Rainforest Lodge (RM7840.00) and Borneo Eco Tours (www.borneoecotours.com) (RM2,385.00) while Sky Community (www.skylinesib.com) co-ordinated the trip of the volunteers from government hospitals, private clinics and private sectors.

On of the patients at Kg. Bilit, Salina B. Tombok who was interviewd expressed his gratitude to the medical team.

On the 8th June 2013, Borneo Eco Tours (BET) and Borneo Ecotourism Solutions & Technologies (BEST) worked with NGOs; Skycommunity and Blue Life Ecoservices to conduct a free medical and dental project on Mantanani Island. The volunteer-doctors were from the Sabah State Health and Dental Department with specialists which including eight medical doctors, two House doctors, six dental doctors, five pharmacists and one nutritionist.

This is the fourth medical project organized by BEST and BET for local communities. A total of 307 patients including womenand children sought for medical treatment while 139 went for dental check up or teeth extraction. Free medicines as per prescriptions of the doctors were provided to all the patients and this was well managed by the pharmacists. The children were also taught the proper steps of brushing teeth. Each child was given a toothbrush and toothpaste. The Mantanani villagers expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the medical project that was provided at their doorstep. Such projects will be able to upgrade the islanders’ health and sanitation.

The community of Mandamai, a village nestled deep in the interior on the Bengkoka River, Pitas, Sabah on Malaysian Borneo has every reason to celebrate Christmas early as the much-awaited water tanks finally arrived on 13th December 2013. The “Bengkoka Living Water” project was financed by the US-based energy corporation, ConocoPhillips and coordinated by Borneo Ecotourism Solutions and Technologies (BEST) Society and Sky Community (SIB Skyline).There were 32 units of water tanks with capacity of 400 gallons each delivered to Mandamai to solve the clean water shortage. The water tanks will benefit 30 households (115 people). Initially, the villagers including the women and children had to physically get water supply from the Bengkoka River using buckets. Apart from that, the risk of disease infection is high as the river water is polluted with chemical run off from nearby oil palm plantations. The villagers now only need to walk a few steps to fetch water for washing or cooking (except in the dry season).

The Bengkoka Living Water Project was first launched by BEST Society and Skycommunity in September 2012 while the second phase was completed in December 2012 with a funding of RM25,280.00. ConocoPhillips donated another RM25,792.00 for Living Water Project Phase 3. Apart from the donation, each recipient of Mandamai also contributed a small sum of RM75.00 for the water tank that they received. The remaining fund from ConocoPhillips and the contribution from the villagers will be used to fund “Bengkoka Living Water” project phase 4 in 2014.

To-date, the three “Bengkoka Living Water” projects have successfully delivered 65 water tanks to three villages and benefited 348 people through the continuous support from ConocoPhillips with donation amounting to RM 51,072.00.

Borneo Ecotourism Solutions & Technologies (BEST) Society (www.bestsociety.org) is a non-profit organization funded by Borneo Eco Tours and Sukau Rainforest Lodge. As of July 2013, a total of RM 1,060,183.57 were raised by BEST Society with Borneo Eco Tours contributed RM 382,583.00 (36%) and Sukau Rainforest Lodge RM 231,877.08 (22%) to implement community and environmental projects.

 Some of the receipients of water tanks

Villagers helping to carry the water tanks to their village

A lorry carrying the water tanks all the way from Kota Kinabalu

Janil B Banduk posing in front of his water tank

One of the villager standing proudly with water tank

To-date, four projects have successfully delivered a total of 95 water tanks to four villages (Kg Lugu, Kg Pandan, Kg Mandamai and Kg Kobon) which benefitted 453 people. Approximately RM46,130.75 have been invested in these four projects.

We will continue to implement this project in the remote villages further upstream as funds become available as they are continuously plagued by drought and have to rely on polluted Bengkoka River for water supply.

Unloading the water tanks from lorry.	Pushing the water tanks down to the river bank.
As there is no road access to the Kg. Kobon, water tanks have to be transported across Bengkoka River by boats.	A recipient of the water tank standing proudly with his water tank

On July 26, 2014, Skycommunity (including volunteers from BEST Society) brought a total of 51 volunteers including doctors and pharmacists to Kg Desa Aman. Located in a remote area close to Mt. Kinabalu, it is difficult for villagers to get regular health check-ups or get help when they require it. It was the first time that a medical camp had been brought to Kg Desa Aman.Madam Selim Satim, a housewife from the village, also suggested that a dental check up be included next time, as they usually need to wait anywhere from a few weeks to a few months before they can receive treatment from government clinics, which are also quite far away. An eye check up is equally important for the elderly people of Kg Desa Aman.

Besides the medical camp, Skycommunity also set up an English program intended to enable children and teenagers to practice their English. Some adults were very interested in joining and actively engaged in all the activities with the volunteers. One villager, Madam Selim Satim, said that she enjoyed the reading activity the most as it gave her the rare opportunity to improve her English. She welcomes anyone who is willing to teach them until they can master the language.

Besides being volunteers, BEST Society also provided an air-conditioned coach to transfer the doctors to the community project.