Borneo 2020 - Lauren Martin

Hello, I’m Lauren and I’m currently in year 10 at Maplesden Noakes Secondary School in Maidstone. In July 2020 I will be going to Borneo as part of Camps International to volunteer for 4 weeks. My trip will be split into four sections: environment, adventure, community and wildlife. 
For the environment section I will be planting seedlings in a rainforest tree nursery; collecting discarded flip-flops to recycle into eco-art; recycling plastic waste into eco-friendly building materials - for example, water pumps and windows; and, cleaning beaches to protect turtle nesting sites.

For the adventure section my commute to work will be in a boat along the impressive Kinabutangan River.  Secondly I will visit the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary where I will see orphaned and injured orangutans before they are released back into the wild. Lastly I will learn about the equipment needed for scuba diving and different diving techniques in a confined environment before undertaking a series of open water dives, surrounded by marine life whilst completing my PADI Open Water Dive course.

For the wildlife section: the reason Borneo was chosen was because there are 3 new species discovered every month. However as many as 50% of all species are heading towards extinction by 2050 due to human activities. In borneo I will be planting food trees for native orangutangs; assisting with sea turtle conservation and making shelters for endangered animals to help reduce the rapid decline.

For the community section:  When I’m volunteering in Borneo I will live and work as part of the local team giving me an insight into the challenges faced by rural communities. I will be participating in projects such as: building classrooms to improve access to education; installing a clean water supply for an entire village; constructing marketplaces for communities to generate income; building new homes and supporting women’s groups.

Camps International chose to go to Borneo due the fact that only 30% of children go to secondary school. We will be helping to build the essentials needed for more children to achieve a higher education, (imagine not having our GCSEs!?). Whilst there we will be teaching young children who don’t have access to secondary school maths, science and English.  Borneo was also a priority because the rate of deforestation is extremely high. Deforestation is a major problem because the residents don’t know how to plant tree beds, which is vital for trees to grow. Therefore plants are being rapidly cut down and none are being planted in their place. Whilst there we will giving the incredible opportunity to teach the locals and we will be making tree beds for the next generation of trees to be planted.

I am really excited to be able to join Camps International and other students from Maplesden Noakes, and am looking forward to making a difference to the environment and to lives of people in Borneo. I have been given the challenge of fundraising £4,500 to cover the cost of the trip and hope you can be a part of my adventure by making a donation, (every little helps), on my GoFundMe page and by following me on Facebook where I will be posting regular updates. 

Thank you very much for your support.
Lauren