As part of my gap year, in the new year, I will be travelling to the Sabah region of Borneo with Camps International.

In Sabah I will be working with the non-profit organisation ‘Pacos Trust’ (Partners of Community Action in Sabah). The organisation is dedicated towards supporting indigenous communities in a variety of ways, including the building and strengthening of community organisations and enterprises. Many indigenous people are well equipped with knowledge of agriculture, but empowering communities with further guidance and training can create vital opportunities for regular income. I will be advising and supporting indigenous locals in the start up and running of businesses; initiatives may include strategies for perma-culture farming and the development of micro finance. This is an important process necessary to help these locals create better standard of living and quality of life and will help them to become independent and better educated.

During my time in Sabah I will spend four weeks shadowing the team at PACOS and two weeks staying at Mantanani Island. Here I will immerse myself within island life, working closely with the community and getting involved in a number of projects from improving school infrastructure to marine conservation and environmental awareness.