MORE DETAILS!!

Great news! Thanks to all who donated (Aunt Beatrice, Uncle Pat, Florence, Cammie, Bruce, Christine, Joe, Benjamin and Laura), I have raised enough to pay off the deposit!! It's not much but at least that's one payment out of the way *celebration dance*

My next goal is to raise another £500 by the 15th of March to pay off the first installment. So I'm doing a lot of convincing and talking!

Another exciting news to share, I just got the detailed itinerary for the whole programme.
Here is the summary:

Days 1-11: 

 Kuching

• Renovation works
• Teaching English
• Surveying for future ecotourism activities 

Days 12-13:

 Gunung Mulu National Park

• Learning about BATS!

Days 14-22:

 Plantation Village School, Tawau 

(will be working with Borneo Child Aid)

• Creating infrastructure in a school
• Help with cooking & after school activities

Days 23-24:

 Sepilok Orang Utan Centre

• Reuniting with my distant relatives 

Days 25-31:

 Lupa Masa Camp, ie the Rainforest

• Learning to survive on basic necessities

Days 32-40:

 Mantanani Island 

(will be working with Blue Life Eco Services)

• Setting up sustainable fishing methods
• Cleaning up the beach
• Building greenhouses

The only thing that scares me would be the 5 day trekking as I wiill be sleeping in hammocks in the jungle! Daunting but thrilling at the same time. 

All in all, the whole plan sounds so exciting and I cannot wait to share this journey with you!

p.s. to all my family and family friends:
All my angpao is still going to this fundraiser! 

Why donate?

 I guess everyone is skeptical when it comes to donating money to a lesser-known cause. I know people want to see their money going into good use and some aren't willing to part with their cents if it's not going to go to a good and legitimate cause.
I hope this post will help justify my case and I hope you will consider pitching in by the time you finish this. I've come up with a few questions that I expect people to ask and thus, created my own Q&A.

Q: Why raise funds for this project?
A: Well, £2000+ is a lot to ask my parents to pay, considering that they are already paying for my UK tuition fees, not forgetting my 3 other siblings and also managing their respective careers. I would like to lessen their burden for awhile, it's all what a teenage girl wants and CAN to do for her hardworking parents.

Q: Why should I donate my money to you??
A: This is a tough question to answer, cause I know people subconsciously ask this in their heads but you are not making a mistake by donating for my project. I am true to my words and will not use this money for anything outside the uses of this programme. As explained earlier, I want to lessen the burden of my parents and also I do believe this whole journey will be more worthwhile if I know that I have the support of not only my family, but also the wider community of the world. Knowing that people have pledge into my cause will definitely make this experience precious and so much more worth it. I have said this before but I will repeat it, I WILL put in my 110% in this project. You have my word.

Q: Why go online?
A: Honestly, I think it is one of the best ways to connect to people, especially having friends and family at different corners of the earth. Plus, the interface is user-friendly and it's so easy to use.

Q: Will you be using other methods of raising money?
A: Yes, I do have plans to have sales and also asking donations from my community here in the UK but that is still in the process of making it happen. So, only online donations for the moment! :)
 
Q: When is your deadline for the fundraiser?
A: Well, depending on how it goes, but ultimately, I would like to reach my goal by the end of April.

Q: What are your monthly targets? 
A: I try to keep a realistic target by aiming at about £500 in the first month and we'll see how it pans out from then. If I can get about 400 people to donate about £5 each, then it would definitely reach my target. However, I am grateful for any amount!

Q: Anything that we can look forward to when you reach a target?
A: Yes, of course! I'm still thinking of things that I could do that would encourage people to donate, probably dying my hair pink or run a half-marathon or maybe go on a phone-less strike for a month  week! Also, I am going to give out rewards for certain amount donated and I do hope that that will encourage people to donate!

So, that's it guys, hope some of the questions are answered but if any, do feel free to email me or drop me a comment below!

Stay tuned for updates and thank you!

Liza x

The Inspiration

For a few years now, I have always wanted to join a volunteering project. After seeing my cousin, Dina, volunteer with the Malaysian Medical Association in Kuching, and knowing that she had a invaluable experience and also tons of fun, I wanted to be part of that as well.

Sadly, due to schoolwork and just unfortunate timing, I was unable to proceed with this plan.

Until last Christmas break when I was discussing my 2015 post Sixth-form, pre-university summer plans with my dad. He made it clear that I were to do something meaningful this summer like get a job or do something productive as he was quite annoyed and frustrated at me last summer where I spent 3 months at home, just lounging about. It wasn't only him that got annoyed, I was too.
The consequences of my actions last summer, ended up with me gaining 10kg and having nothing much to talk about when I went back to college the following Autumn.

So this year, I want to make a change. The initial plan was to stay here in the UK and find work. However, with my visa expiring and the cost of living is just too high, I decided to do some overseas volunteering. After weeks of researching and contemplating, I finally decided that it was most meaningful that I do something back home.

The volunteering options in Sabah were open wide. Ranging from conservation to education, I was spoilt for choice. In the end, I opted with the programme that allowed me to experience my home state in the best way possible.

After heavy discussion through Whatsapp with the parents, I finally got the green light.

However, I wouldn't want to burden my parents by asking them to fund my whole "excursion", instead, I started with my own fundraising page.
It's not much, but I hope people would support it as fully as my parents are.

This volunteering experience will not only cover the 6 weeks I'm about to spend in my "backyard" but also the process that led up to it and also the aftermath. Looking forward to the journey ahead and I do hope you'll join me.

Till then,
Liza x