Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur and Batek Village
Programm provider World Volunteer
According to a 2015 study in Science Magazine, Malaysia was named the eighth worst country worldwide for plastic waste. Besides being an eyesore, there’s a far more menacing consequence to plastic waste – it doesn’t fully degrade. Littered items may exist for hundreds of years allowing time for particles to be ingested by animals and humans, causing detrimental effects. Acknowledging the consequences of improper plastic disposal has sparked innovation within development organizations.
Precious Plastic, an initiative created based on the increasing need for effective waste disposal, has been valuable in providing feasible, cost-effective, and easy-to-build recycling machines globally. Seeking to incentivize individuals by placing emphasis on sustainable, environmentally-friendly tasks, Precious Plastic has created a ‘Turning Trash into Cash’ program. Alongside World Volunteer you will assist in the creation of a Precious Plastic recycling center in the Batek village. Establishing these resources will help the Batek people generate money by creating sellable goods out of melted and moulded recycled waste. Such projects seek to promote economic development while mutually benefitting the environment through the redirection of plastic waste into reusable materials.
Protecting the environment is vital to the growth and success of humans and animals alike, spurring World Volunteer’s partnership with the Sungai Yu Wildlife Reserve. During this portion of the trip, you will be participating in treks that assist with an ongoing conservation project to assist animals living within this region. Information gathered and mapped will be handed over to the government and other related NGOs to ensure that up-to-date information is accessible enabling positive growth towards preservation.
Malaysia Village Immersion Students participating in this program will contribute to the development of sustainable initiatives within the Batek village and Sungai Yu Wildlife Reserve, enabling economic growth and reduced environmental degradation. Trekking throughout the conservation while collecting vital information regarding wildlife, students will contribute to the data needed to expose the severity of current environmental issues within Malaysian forests. Additionally, the creation of a Precious Plastic recycling plant will allow village people to not only tackle their plastic waste problem, but additionally creates a medium through which they can benefit through the creation and sale of durable goods. Living amongst the Batek people will provide insight into the livelihoods of locals and how they survive living on the edges of the forest. Our program will introduce students to sustainability, conservation mapping, the struggles faced by the Batek people, and Northern Malaysian culture. Participating in various projects that depict the environmental concerns and proper combatant methods teaches students about sustainable practices and the importance of caring for the environment. Partnering with World Volunteer allows students to engage with a service-learning project that benefits increasing concerns for the Batek people, local wildlife, and the greater environment.
Our project utilizes machines that are both easy to understand, teach and use. Aligned with S.T.E.M. subjects, we take an interdisciplinary and applied approach integrating students into a cohesive learning environment based on real-world applications.
Social Output
Throughout this trip, students will be contributing to the development of the Batek village recycling plant that will be used by the local people to turn plastic waste into sellable goods. Our approach to sustainability will equally promote practices that consider the environmental effects of individual action. With your help, we are able to create infrastructure that enables the safe-keeping of the planet as well as its people.
Itinerary
Day 1 (Sunday)
This afternoon you will arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport where an enthusiastic and experienced World Volunteer team will be waiting. Minivans will pick us up at the airport and drop us off at the KL Citin Seacare hotel. After a brief check-in, we will have an orientation composed of information and various ice breaking games. For dinner, we will head out to Little India where we will have the opportunity to try various cultural dishes. Around 9-10pm we will return to the hotel and rest up for an eventful second day.
Day 2 (Monday)
The day starts bright and early with breakfast before being picked up by our transport. This morning we will be visiting Malaysia’s University of Nottingham campus where we will attend an information session on elephants hosted by MEME (Management and Ecology Malaysian Elephant). Following the briefing, we will have a tour of the campus before taking a lunch break.
Once we are fuelled up, we will be heading into the city to participate in a World Volunteer Amazing Race created with various tasks that will better acquaint you with your new surroundings. We will then visit Batu Caves, a religious site composed of a series of caves and cave temples. It is then time to return back to Little India to feast on yet another array of local delicacies before returning to the hotel for a relaxing night.
Day 3 (Tuesday)
Today we will gear up for our journey out to Gua Musang. Beginning with an early 8am breakfast, we will be boarding our bus roughly an hour later. Following our trip, we will arrive to have lunch at the Kesedar Inn before unpacking and settling into our rooms. To ready ourselves for the start of our project, we will be attending a lecture informing us of the necessary information regarding the work we will be doing in the following days.
To relax after our long day of traveling, we will be playing a series of field games in the early evening. After working up enough of an appetite, we will head out to dinner. To end the night off, we will partake in a series of science and maths tasks related to conservation and mapping. Between the tasks and earlier lecture, you will now be fully prepared for the projects ahead. It is now time to head back to our rooms to get a good nights sleep before a busy fourth day.
Day 4 (Wednesday)
Following breakfast, we will head to the Sungai Yu Wildlife Reserve where we will be trekking through the conservation. Searching for animal tracks and other series of data, we will create records of information regarding the existence of wildlife and their movements. After a busy morning hiking in the forest, we will take a break and have some well-deserved lunch.
Around 3pm we will go to the Batek village where we will set up camp. After getting acquainted with our new surroundings, we will be joining together with the Batek children and playing/teaching them a series of sports games. Once we are done running around, we will be sitting down for a dinner before heading off to bed.
Day 5 (Thursday)
Today we will be working on our service project. After breakfast we will be partnering with Precious Plastic to create a sustainable recycling plant for the Batek village. Using the space designated by the village people, we will be constructing a wooden shelter that will house the various machinery used to turn ‘trash into cash’. Utilizing the information learned through our lecture, we will be training the village people on how to use the series of machines that take plastic waste and turn it into sellable goods. Aligned with the conservation work we did in the Sungai Yu Wildlife Reserve, this project seeks to promote environmental sustainability and protect not only the planet but the people that inhabit it.
Following lunch, prepared by World Volunteer participants alongside the Batek villagers, we will once again head out to the field to play football with the Batek children. After some time interacting with each other, we will pack up, eat dinner, and say our goodbyes before heading back to the Kesedar Inn. Following our arrival at our hotel, we will check- in before reconvening for a debrief where we will discuss the work that we did in the village.
Day 6 (Friday)
Today we will be heading back to into the city of Kuala Lumpur. Following breakfast, we will embark on our journey arriving in KL around 1 pm. We will eat Lunch along the way allowing us time to do some souvenir shopping and exploring following our return to the KL Citin Seacare Hotel. Tonight will be our final dinner where we will have time to reflect on the work we accomplished over the past few days.
Day 7 (Saturday)
Sadly, today is the day we say goodbye. After our final breakfast together, you will be transferred from the hotel to the airport for the flight back home.
Number of Days: 7 days/6 nights
Minimum Number of Students: 20
Estimated price: 13,500 MOP*
