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