If you are interested in visiting this lodge and Borneo and or supporting these projects, please visit below:
WHAT THE INTI RAYMI FUND DID:
Below is a summary description of how our Inti Raymi Funds will be used to help local communities through economic empowerment projects:
On behalf of Borneo Eco Tours and BEST Society, I would like to start by thanking you for choosing to stay with us at Sukau Rainforest Lodge and more importantly for your generous contribution of USD25,000.00 towards BEST Society. We have decided to not use this donation as a grant but to invest the funds on community projects which often struggle to access traditional finance.
The “BEST-Pitch” Fund
We are hoping to see exciting new businesses which are capable of creating jobs in rural areas that would lead directly to economic growth and maximizing community impact. Our goal is to invest in sustainable businesses that are profitable and to empower local communities to run businesses maximizing the local economic impact so as to enable them to get out of poverty. We will organize a pitching competition open to communities that have worked closely with BEST Society over the years to propose their business ideas or to expand their business to win funding amounting to USD1,200.00-2,500.00 and startup capital at the same time provide mentoring support to ensure greater success rate. We don’t intend to finance the community completely but expect them to contribute either in cash or in-kind in terms of labour or materials.
The “BEST-Assist” Fund
BEST Society will offer interest-free loan which can be used to help grow, become more sustainable or increase business capacity on a project we have identified. We proposed to lend USD10,000.00 to a local NGO, MUKEST Society (which we helped set up several years ago and fund small projects in Kiulu) to develop bamboo cottage industry. Bamboo is not only readily available locally and throughout Sabah, it is a more sustainable building material and fast growing, and the local people also have skills in utilizing bamboo for their housing. In addition, BEST Society have recently in early 2019 sent a team of local craftsmen, community leaders with our architect to go to Bali for training on bamboo harvesting, treatment and construction technique with the hope to transfer the skills back to Borneo. It is proposed to allocate around USD10,000.00 to set up a processing factory (a first in Sabah) together with equity participation from some villagers to start this business to treat bamboo for sale to housing, interior designers, local villagers. The profit generated will be used to repay loan and to start another project namely Farmers’ Market under MUKEST which cover 13 villages to generate income through economic activities to enable them to get out of poverty.
This bamboo project in Kiulu will receive a package of support including:
