20-23 Oct 08 at Kampong Tamau: 22 volunteers from Renaissance Hotels & Miri Marriott build for Habitat KK

A quick visit to the beach at Rampayan Laut on the way back to the Ostrich Lodge (where the volunteers stayed)!
Pix shows the happy team from Renaissance Kuala Lumpur, with their team leader Nor Aizan (1st from left).

Ms Nor Aizan (from Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel) upscaling and bonding with village children making and coloring magnetic animated moulds. Aizan 'broke the ice' with the children making them feel very at ease and comfortable with the visitors/volunteers. Thanks Aizan, for your creativity!

On Day 3, the walls are up! Fantastic progress for a group of dedicated volunteers who have not built a house before! Syabas man!!

Team Toilet.com artistically constructing one of the most important
section of the new Habitat home for Mabulmaddin's family.

Reporter & Feature Writer Elton Gomes (seated, 1st left) from the Borneo Post at the build site interviewing the Team Leader Ms Nik Adura (with cap and white T-shirt)


Van broke down on morning of Day 2!! Great chance to warm up for the volunteers who walked for about 2km before help came! They took the chance to enjoy the country-side and beautiful view of Mount Kinabalu! Thanks for showing high and positive spirit, gang!!


Fiddler on the Roof: Hey Zamri, be careful there!

The Pintu.com team on Day 2 creatively 'designing' and constructing
the doors and windows for Mabulmaddin's house.

Enjoying team spirit at dinner time at the Ostrich Lodge at Rampayan Laut. Many of the volunteers met each other for the 1st time and bonded very well and became good friends!

Oh Mama! Naik kereta-ku...the pickup vehicle transporting the volunteers daily from the Ostrich Lodge at Rampayan Laut to the buildsite at Kampong Tamau, Kota Belud, Sabah.

The journey takes about 20 minutes.

Volunteers attract interests and build bonding with children too

21st October 2008 on Day 2 of Work at Kampong Tamau, Kota Belud, Sabah: The 22 volunteers from Renaissance Resorts & Hotels Malaysia and Miri Marriott Resort & Spa, worked in 4 separate teams under separate leaders, building team spirit and bonding not only among themselves, but also connecting well with the village children.

The Renaissance Hotel and Miri Marriott team in action in Kota Belud, Sabah.

20th October 2008: 22 volunteers from Renaissance Hotel Malaysia and Miri Marriott Resort & Spa are staying for 4 nights at Rampayan Laut, near Kota Belud, building a Habitat home for a sugar cane farmer and his family. It has been raining at the site prior to their arrival, but on their 1st day of work on 20th Oct 08 (Monday), the weather is beautiful...warm to cool and breezy! It's so blessed! The good weather and the high energy and enthusiasm of the volunteers augured well for the team work to make great progress with the build. This is the 4th consecutive year that this Hotel group is sending volunteers to help Habitat for Humanity Kota Kinabalu build homes in Sabah. It is under their international program "Spirit to Serve" to help local community work. Thank you so much Fellas!! Pictures show the volunteers team spirit in putting up the house for Mabulmaddin in Kampong Tamau, Kota Belud, Sabah. This is only the 1st day of work and we are glad that the house is going up very smoothly.

Stretching exercise before work commences

20th October 2008: Gilbert Webber(left most) from Marriott Miri leads the participants to loosen up and stretch their muscles on commencement of work at the Habitat for Humanity build site at Kampong Tamau, Kota Belud, Sabah.

Welcome Dinner at Tam Nak Thai

19th October 2008: Welcome Dinner for 22 Volunteers from the Renaissance Hotels in Malaysia and the Marriott Miri Resort & Spa held at Tam Nak Thai at Api Api, Kota Kinabalu. Traditionally, a welcome dinner is held for visiting group of volunteers at a local restaurant, an occasion to get to know the participants and for them to get to know us. Habitat for Humanity works in partnership and therefore personal friendship and bonding is important to build long lasting relationship.

22 volunteers from Renaissance Hotel & Miri Marriott arrive in KK

19th October 2008: 22 volunteers from Renaissance Hotel Malaysia and the Miri Marriott Resort & Spa arrive in Kota Kinabalu to help build a home in Kampong Tamau, Kota Belud. The volunteers were given a comprehensive briefing by Allen Tong (President of Habitat Kota Kinabalu) at the Radius International Hotel at Warisan Square. Seen in pix here is Ms Nik Adura (seated, second from left),who is the Team Leader of the Group, and also Philip Chee (General Manager of Renaissance Kota Bharu Hotel, seated 5th from left).

Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel sends 7 volunteers to Habitat for Humanity Kota Kinabalu

15th October 2008: The Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel will be sending 7 volunteers to help Habitat for Humanity Kota Kinabalu build a home at Kampong Tamau, Kota Belud, Sabah. A total of 22 volunteers from the Renaissance Hotels and Marriott Miri will be in Sabah from 19th to 24th October 2008. This is the 4th consecutive year that the Hotel Chain is partnering Habitat for Humanity Kota Kinabalu. President of Habitat for Humanity Kota Kinabalu, Allen Tong (Pix, second from left) briefed the volunteers in Kuala Lumpur on safety rules, logistics, history of Habitat KK and also thanked the management of the Hotel for its corporate support for Habitat's programs.