Our Responsibilities:

As part of our Responsible Volunteering Policy we are committed to the following areas.

Responsibilities to the Project:

To create a project that fulfil the needs and requirements of the local environment, addressing local needs. To work alongside local government, universities and partner organisations, building long-term relationships based on mutual trust and respect. We work to ensure our project is sustainable to avoid dependency and continually monitor and evaluate it.

Responsibility to our volunteers:

We believe we have a responsibility to provide volunteers with worthwhile, meaningful and quality programmes that are based on solid responsible volunteering principles at the right price. We aim to provide honest and accurate information, and information to prepare volunteers for their placements. We provide continual support to volunteers and necessary training throughout their placements through our local team members. We highly value our volunteers and recognise their importance.  Ecoteer prides itself on low cost volunteering and only approved agents with project knowledge and who charge clear admin fees are used, you are able to contact the people in charge of the projects or sales people who have had personal experience at the project site.  This reduces the price to a minimum and ensures all of your program fee goes to the onsite organisation.  It also means you get up-to-date information and you talk to the people whom you will be volunteering with increasing your connections with the project even before you go.

Environmental Responsibility:

Environmental conservation lies at the heart of the HOPE program- by protecting the future of the surrounding environment and teaching tourists and local school children how and why we can work to secure the future of turtles and coral reefs.  In 2010 in partnership with Reef Check Malaysia we are creating an environmental awareness group in the village to help spread environmental awareness amongst the adult villagers.  Our small group sizes reduce pressure on the surrounding environment.  The information we collect is shared with local governments and universities ensuring the knowledge we collect is dissipated among the wider national and international communities.

Economic Responsibility:

We operate low cost volunteer programs which enable more volunteers, local and international, to experience and play a part in turtle and reef conservation.  In addition we give a lower price to local volunteers and at least 10% of foreign volunteer fees are donated to the Perhentian Village fund.  The Perhentian Village Fund is under the management of HOPE and supports community development projects in the village.  When staying in the village the accommodation is owned by a local villager and we give our volunteers an allowance to buy their food whilst in the village so they spend their money in different shops and restaurants ensuring more villagers benefit economically from the volunteers presence.
The volunteer fee is broken down as below;-

Socio-cultural Responsibility:

Our project is long-term, helping us build strong relationships based on mutual trust and respect. We respect the local cultures and traditions, encouraging volunteers to do the same by providing them with the relevant information beforehand and during the project, keeping small group sizes and employing local staff.