Is Volunteering for me?

Lets clean that beach

Before booking you will have already considered your motivations for volunteering. Our reality check list helps to prepare you for what to expect from working on an island in a developing country. The full reality check can be found on our website:

• Cultural Differences – Malaysia is different to the life in your country.
  You should expect customs that may seem unfamiliar and research as much as possible beforehand on Asian and Malaysian culture. Bear in mind the realities of working in a developing country.
• Working with turtles – Turtles are wild and often unpredictable and can cause you great harm if given the opportunity. It is for your safety and the turtles welfare that there is no contact with the adult turtles or hatchlings.  However if the situation requires some handling only do so with the blessing of your facilitator.  Photos of people holding turtle hatchlings is strictly forbidden. Also as wild animals don’t expect to see turtles nesting and hatchlings, seeing them is a privilege for volunteers not a right but you can be sure your efforts will help the turtles survive.
  • Changes to the Project - Changes can happen last minute. If we state that something “might” happen or could “possibly” happen, it means just that, do not come with the attitude that you will participate in every activity.
  • Amount of Work - Be realistic with the amount of work that you will accomplish during your time. The cumulative effect of many months soon becomes large. Even guarding the beach at night or picking up 1 cigarette butt might seem a small contribution but collectively has a positive effect on the protection of the turtles on the beach.

• Island Reality! Perhentian Besar is a very beautiful island and the bay where the project is based looks like it is
  

  We get large stick insects

  straight from a holiday brochures front cover.  However the lowland forest surrounding the resort is full of wildlife that you will be exposed too when you are in the forest. You may see many animals and some can cause injury (including monkey’s and large snakes) if you accidentally stumble across them, so it is important that when you are trekking to stay with the group and not wander off ahead. Carry an open mind and an alert one.  You can also expect visitors in your rooms including geckos, spiders and occasionally rats, squirrels and snakes.

• Living with other people – Volunteers are expected to arrive with a gregarious nature and to be tolerant of all other members of the group; instances of discrimination, bullying or sexual harassment will never be tolerated & volunteers are expected to work positively with all other members of the group. Bear in mind that toleration is the key to a fulfilling and successful project life.