Habitat for Humanity Kota Kinabalu

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

House Repair Dedication

Giving present

Habitat KK Affiliates that went to visit Jorinah's home

Given a tour of the home

A bit of refreshment

Handing the key to Jorinah

Jorinah Motogor

Just to give a brief background, Habitat KK Affiliate went to visit Jorinah Motogor in Tambunan early February. With the purpose of conducting a home repair dedication. The event includes handing over a key to her home and giving a token. Having visited her house, we noticed that she had new a new door, good staircase and well-furnished toilets. However Jorinah concluded that more works need to be done. After taking a group photo and having eaten some food that she prepared upon our visit. We left for home. It was happy to see Jorinah pleased with what she got from Habitat's assistance programme. Above, are the pictures taken to commerate the eventual occasion that took place.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Homestay village

I went to Tambunan again on the 12th as I said I would. Waited for Joanna in front of my house. Sitting at the porch. The new day dawns back. We stopped by at Gunung Alab to have breakfast and went to take pictures there at the park. Then continued our journey to the village by road.

Reached there by 9.30 am and waited for students to come but they were a bit late. One student forgot something at the hostel and needed to return. So they were caught up in the traffic jam. They were dressed candidly as they strode by passed us. They looked pretty enthusiastic. With their colourful clothes and wholesome bags. There were Chinese and Indonesian students. The rest are made of local students from Kelantan and Sabah.

Joanna gave a briefing to these students and it was introduction time. So the students spoke of their names and which faculty they came from. And then Joanna divided them to their host families.

After that we had another session of refreshment where we were served with fried mee-hoon.. This is my favourite part with some chillies. And then hinompuka a compressed banana paste wrapped in banana leaves. It's a traditional food famous among the Kadazan-Dusuns. As for beverage, the hosts served us with kopi Tenom (coffee made from Tenom) which wasn't too sweet afterall but hot. I took many pictures especially while they were eating.

And the dancing part too was enjoyable. They were lined up into two rows and they dance with their partners. Put into a circle they then exchange places and there was one student from Indonesia that was very good in this! The gongs beat as hard as ever.

After having done our activities with them, we took a final photo in a group and bid farewell as the students moved in with their host families. I couldn't stay longer as there was no room for me to stay.

Before heading to KK, Joanna showed me the road to these homestays and asked me to make a map. I was thinking of finding these locations inside the transposed map I have from JICA (Japanese International Cooperation Agency). It was a map that I had during the course I took in the university.

That's what is my mind so far.. See you in the next page!

Sheena James

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Tambunan Village

Went home last night about 12.45 am. Joanna drove us to Tambunan at 5.30 pm, it was only me and her. We could've left earlier but we had to discuss about some niggles that needed approval from her as a president. And at the same time, she was making some changes on the itinerary for Dubai. Ching, my colleague who was responsible over the accounts dropped me at the States's Library headquarters. Ching was indeed a good person she can get all jittered up over small things as she was a perfectionist and very well-organised. Without her, I will be too idle needing not know what to do in the office. She gave me some directions on what to discuss on the table and gave me a head start while working here.

Upon reaching Tambunan at 7.30 pm. I was acquainted with the homestay owners. And I saw some very good dishes on the table. My tummy was a bit hungry by now. Hmm.. It was a good home I should say, layered in bricks. But the interior was very traditional. The table had table clothe on it. There was a staircase going to the top where the rooms are. Tightly spaced to accomodate the needs of the house-holders but cozy. It's like everywhere there is a memoir.

We proceeded in learning the Sompoton. The Sompoton is a traditional musical instrument made of small bamboos serving as multiple flutes tied on a single blowing apparatus by a gum and strips of rattan. I tried testing my breaths first on this instrument. One of the man from the village who spoke a thick accent was the one in charge of orchestrating them and he taught us how to play. The hymn that was chosen, was Amazing Grace. Wonderful piece of music! Little did it occurred to me that these instruments as simple as they are, as primitive they may seem, the man warned that they are not! They come from a very civilized society knowing the grace of music and the appreciation of the Art. There were few notes: G, A, C, D, E.. That's all there is there to know.. And two more higher notes of pitch.

Maybe after a little bit of time of sharing and bonding, we continued to have dinner. They were delicious! What they had on the course was a type of river fish which I've forgotten it's name. It was stirred fried with soya sauce and some slices of vegetable gourd. What makes it special is that it has a tangible taste of kantan in it. Kantan is a flower of wild ginger that may be sought in the jungle.

The meeting started soon while eating but it was hard to keep our hands to ourselves. So complete dedication to the meeting started as Joanna took up as the chairperson. She gave briefings on the itinerary and rationing of people who should take up jobs. So it was a long procession of ideas and informing what vegetables they had at the garden and how much can the villagers give in participating in this event. Such as vegetables of course needed to be sold or else they won't have a subsidy to re-plant them in their orchard. And that, personally, I think the cost of the gifts needed to be bought from the village are soo cheap. They offered to give only RM 10 per Sompoton! Imagine, that! For such an exquisite master piece. A pride that excels our culture. These people are too generous..

At 10.30 pm, we left Tambunan. Bye-bye! Sadly missed. It wasn't that late anyway, as the discussion was fruitful. There were many suggestions and I myself was excited. I was interested in knowing what's cuisine is about to be served. And I'd like to put my ideas right into it. But there was already a lady who's in charge of these foods, I was merely agreeing and hinted which food that would be good for the guests.

Catch me again later, as I give a preview of some homestays that there is available in Tambunan for instance. I would have to go there on this 12th again and stay there for 3 days with the villagers. It would give me a chance to get hands-on experience on what activities are held in the kampong for the purpose of hosting and lodging. At the mean time, look forward on my next updates for living in the land of paddy fields and buffaloes.

Sheena James

Thursday, March 4, 2010

New Volunteer

How should I say?

I started working just today with the Habitat for Humanity in KK. I was first introduced with this organization by Joanna who happens to be the president of the committee. I am working as a volunteer to help supervise other volunteers coming from Dubai to build a house in Tambunan. And also as the person who up-dates this blog.

How did I come to know Joanna. I have been working in Sukau for the past 4 years and I know how it is to live without a roof on your head. A proper one I mean. I was there to do research on orangutans. I started there also as a volunteer and then the project director of the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project proposed that I should do a Master’s programme with them which I accepted.

I have been working as a volunteer for other initiatives including the World Wide Fund for nature. And my experience in Sukau as a volunteer for a month had exposed me to a cultural display of affection by the communities in desolated places that had brought them to care for these animals.

I anticipated to work for the Habitat for Humanity as the word Habitat strikes me. We have been trying to connect forests together to create a corridor so that animals may have a habitat worth living. And that KOCP has also been working with communities so that they get to value more about their nature and make sustainable living. Being in the kampong made me appreciate their culture and encourages me to do something.

I stayed at the field centre and sometimes I have guests visiting me when I’m not observing orangutans. I attend meetings which could prove their livelihood as directed by these directors. And I listen to their laments about their livelihoods. But another thing which I did as someone who happens to be here is teach these kids. When I’m in the forest, I was so happy to see my room decorated by flowers. They put some flowers on my wardrobe, on my table. I was touched. And knowing that one of my lecturers was studying snails, they collected shells from the garden and asked me to pass them to him. But of course he was studying limestone snails, but then, he took those shells anyway.

And the saddest part, was a friend of mine who is a single mom. She was a friend who accompanies me when I am alone in the station. And of course deep inside, I knew about her worries on the future of her children. Those kids that put flowers on my writing table. So I discussed with the director to take her in for a job, and he did!

I went around visiting homes during festivities and they were very welcoming. I saw a picture of Joanna in one of their photos. And there, I saw someone looking very happy and smiling with the community enjoying the food that they served. She was here to carry out a home-stay programme for these people. It’s a project that repairs houses for people that would be interested in joining the programme to have visitors staying in their house. Of course, these people would be paid for their hospitality and they would have to cook dishes for them during their stay. It was a programme run by the Ministry of Tourism to find a sustainable livelihood for these people.

One day, I added her in my Facebook and she accepted it. She probably recognise me from my supervisors. And then she proposed that I should be a volunteer for the Habitat for Humanity. And this is where I am now. It’s a very humble deed. And I am proud to be a part of it.

Soon, my friend from Sukau would like me to work there and I am considering. But at the mean time, I would be available to supervise volunteers coming from Dubai. Keep check for my other up-dates!

Sheena James