Hi. My name is Gabe. I'm 13 years old and am raising money to fund a trip to Borneo in 2026.

My school has offered the opportunity to spend 1 month travelling around Borneo with Camps International. We will be staying in the heart of the Bornean communities who are most in need, carrying out conservation and community projects, supporting communities in improving their living standards, access to education and health services. Conservation work includes reforestation, vaccinating livestock and helping to protect wildlife.

We will be living "off grid" and will also embark on a 5 day trek through the Bornean jungle, planting trees as we go and sleeping in hammocks under the jungle canopy, exposed to all the elements.

When I first heard of the trip I didn't even know where Borneo was. I have since found out that the Bornean jungle is the oldest rainforest in the world, at 130 million years old. Sadly, only half of it now remains, due to deforestation.

I am a bit nervous about this trip and it will definitely push me out of my comfort zone in lots of ways. I will be really far from home and will miss my mum (and I guess my little brother too!) But I also know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience different cultures and to feel I am making a real difference. I think that completing this expedition will help me to grow as a person and will be an important building block for the future. I also think that I will feel really proud of myself, once I have overcome hard challenges.

My mum is really supportive of this adventure, but I will need to self-fund, as she cannot afford the massive cost. I feel that the sacrifice and effort in raising the money is part of the journey, and will be a valuable life skill.

To raise funds I will be asking for sponsorship, organising bake sales, and making and selling goods. I also intend to get a weekend job. To boost fundraising I will embark on a hiking challenge in the Spring, where I intend to summit 3 welsh mountains in one weekend. I will post updates when the plan is in place!