Join the Orang Sungai community in protecting their rainforest habitat

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Program Overview
Life on the Program
Project Details
Volunteer Testimonials

Program Overview

This unique project lets you travel to the amazing rainforests of South East Asia to work with the Orang Sungai community to protect their home.

Located on the Kinabatangan River in Borneo, the project site is home to a diverse array of animal species, including orangutans, pygmy elephants, gibbons, proboscis monkeys, otters and crocodiles. Unfortunately, this stunning ecosystem is under threat from the devastating effect of logging and palm oil plantations on wildlife habitat and the rainforest as a whole.

By working with the local community you will assist efforts to develop alternative, sustainable ways of making a living that don’t negatively impact upon the local ecosystem.

This project gives you the rare opportunity to immerse yourself in Malay culture by living and working alongside the local community, while also allowing you to make a real contribution to rainforest conservation.

Life on the Program

As a volunteer you will be involved in supporting community-based eco-tourism initiatives and local environmental conservation work. The conservation work can be very labour intensive, helping with forest and wetland restoration, but is extremely important as it helps provide critical habitat, food and nesting areas for orangutans and other wildlife.

You will live amongst the Orang Sungai, a group of indigenous people who have lived along the banks of the Kinabatangan River for hundreds of years. They will share their homes and lives with you – from the traditional food to their favourite modern pastimes volleyball and karaoke, giving you the opportunity to truly experience how their lives intertwine with the rainforest that surrounds them.

Project Details

The work you will be doing on this project is prioritised and determined by the local community so you can be assured that you are helping in the best way possible.

The work varies depending on the current priorities, but may include: seed collection, plant nursery work, tree planting, invasive species removal, developing nature trails, forest mapping, trail maintenance, construction projects or conducting basic wildlife surveys.

The community work involved in this project also varies widely and you may have the opportunity to participate in village clean-ups, sanitation construction projects, general maintenance and teaching basic English in local schools or to guides.

From time to time, you may be asked to assist with special programs, such as helping the local health clinic, village school or village kindergarten.

How this project makes a difference:

The indigenous Orang Sungai people of the Lower Kinabatangan have been living off the rainforest for food, medicine, household commodities and products of trade for hundreds of years. Recent deforestation has depleted these resources and many locals were forced to poach timber to survive.

GVI assists our partners create alternative income generation for the people of the area whilst also protecting the rainforest and traditional indigenous culture.

Volunteer Testimonials

Maureen Vidal, USA

I wanted to be in a position to observe wildlife and to make a contribution for animals. The best part of the experience was making friends in the village and having the people treat me as though I were one of them. Seeing the way the eco camp developed from the time I arrived and started working on it to when I left and it was ready for tourists was inspiring. The most emotional experience I had was the night before I left when the entire village, 200 people, had a good-bye celebration for me, I cried!

Naomi Foster, United Kingdom

The project's run by the local people for the local people, which is fantastic. Seeing the wildlife of Borneo was amazing, but what really made my trip was the people. The people in the village are so incredibly friendly and generous, and really made me feel like part of their community. It's wonderful to see them working for themselves to preserve and promote the jungle. Staying with families and really experiencing their lifestyle was brilliant, and I know that I will always have a family in Malaysia too.

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