Conservation & Community Internships in Malaysia

I originally came to Fuze-Ecoteer as an freelance videographer when one of my friends who was interning for the company told me about the locations that they work at and suggested i come over to get some footage.

I spent three weeks in Ipoh at the beautiful village of Tongguang, staying in our simple but charming house. I was instantly in love with the place, we spent our time adventuring in the forest, meeting the locals, trekking, looking for snares. Every day was a new experience and every body at the project was so friendly to me, very caring and genuine people. I felt welcomed straight away!

Once my time had ended i returned to Bangkok, but after just a few days realised that i waned to be back in the jungle. So i contacted Dan and asked him for a position as the videographer and photographer for Fuze. He accepted and i flew straight back to Malaysia! Since then i have worked at all of our projects from Ipoh to Merapoh to Perhentian to Jogja, and now even in Royal Belum! Each one offering a new insight into the beauty of Malaysia and i have had an amazing time adventuring around the country. Its been almost a year already and i can't wait to see what the new year brings for the company!

I started off my experience at Fuze Ecoteer as a fundraising intern. I chose to join them because I wanted to find an office position that would allow me to have flexible working hours and be closer to nature. After having lived half a year in Shanghai, I needed a more quiet living environment and less stressful. Turned out, I found exactly what I was looking for at Fuze Ecoteer. Daniel, the company's founder, allowed me to stay at whichever project I wanted and I decided to stay in Merapoh at their jungle project. Being based there meant that I could arrange my working hours myself and join the local team on their trips into the jungles or other fun activities every time I was free.
After 6 months of internship, I wanted a change from fundraising work and it turned out that the company needed someone to take over as a sales manager (managing volunteers booking and online saling platforms), which was a full time paid position. I was glad to know that Daniel thought I'd be a good fit for the job.
So during my whole experience in Malaysia, I took part in some conservation and community activities, but also jungle trekking, camping, caving, etc. I was able to learn new skills, have new responsibilities, but also to learn about other fields such as Malaysia's wildlife and culture, conservation and community work, etc.

I was on internship as a photographer during 3 months.
Most of the time I spent on the picturesque island - Perhentian, but also have the opportunity to participate in the project in Merapoh, and see other places in Malaysia, for example impressive capital - Kuala Lumpur.

I experienced some memorable adventures as:
- Snorkelling on the paradise island;
- Offroad through Belum Tropical Rainforest;
- Spend a night in the jungle (two times);
- Abseiling 70 meters from the rocks.

I had the opportunity to know other cultures and met with many great people from all over the world, which certainly contributed to my personal development.

I recommend this internship for sure!

I think that everyone should experience this island and this way of travelling at least once in thier lives. My trip lasted two weeks but I gained so much from them and wished I could stay longer. It would be impossible to pick one experience to share! Instead, I will say that the Kampung and all it's inhabitants are welcoming and have immeasurable hospitality, the Fuze Ecoteer team there are all so friendly and the project is run and coordinated so well.

First off I want to say; Merapoh is an incredibly beautiful place, filled with wonderful people and even if you are not considering working there, you should visit none the less!

I originally signed up to stay at the Merapoh Community & Conservation project for 3 months; I soon found that that was not long enough. After another 3 months, I have decided that yet again I am not ready to leave, so will be returning in February, when the project reopens after the monsoon dies down.

Working with the Batek is an incredible experience, their willingness to share their vast knowledge of the forest and its inhabitants is, at times, humbling. Communication with them can at times be challenging for non-Malay speakers, as they do not speak English, so I would advise doing some homework and learning some basic Malay before joining the project, if possible, to allow you to hit the ground running. That said, there are Malay speakers at the project already, so there will always be someone to help out if you can’t understand.

My six months working with Fuse-Ecoteer have allowed me to do some pretty incredible things; trekking, camping, caving just within Merapoh for a start. I have helped organise trips for groups of school children and university students, I have taken part in an exhibition in KL’s Eco Film Fest, all the time with accommodation and transport being provided. I have also been able to visit our other projects in Ipoh; where I was able to do white water rafting and I was given a chance to stay on the Perhentian Islands; where I spent days submerged in the crystal clear waters surrounded by fish of all shapes and sizes.

Dan and Pavin are both great guys who share a genuine desire to help people and to facilitate others to come and help too. Communication can sometimes be a bit lacking, but that is forgivable knowing how busy they both are. I’d also like to highlight Merapoh’s team leader Azee, who has done a fantastic job over the last six months, and I look forward to working with her again next year.

So to close, I’d like to thank everyone in the Fuse-Ecoteer family that has made the last 6 months so enjoyable, can’t wait to get the team back together and get started again in February!

Words cannot describe the first time you lay your eyes on a Tigers pug mark. You may have seen it many times in pictures or in documentaries. It’s still pretty impressive. But to have one right there in front of you, with the print so deeply embedded in the dirt leaves you speechless. Firstly, just knowing that you are walking down the same track that this magnificent creature walked along just days before is an honour in itself. Secondly is the feeling of pride, that you are on the front line of Tiger conservation, protecting one of nature’s greatest creations. It is an experience I never thought I would get to have. But thanks to Fuze-ecoteer’s intern programme, it is one that I shall never forget.

For me, ever since I was young; nature, wildlife and conservation have always been a passion. But finding a way to turn that passion into a career in conservation is extremely challenging. So if someone told me four years ago that I would be setting up camera traps, collecting data on animals such as Leopards, Sun Bears, and Elephants. Or that I would be spending my weekends camping with the Batek, one of Malaysia’s Orang Asli groups, learning about their culture and history. I probably would have laughed in their face. But life has a funny way about it.

Interning with Fuze-ecoteer has provided me with a wealth of knowledge and unforgettable experiences, in the field of conservation and community development. Whether that is teaching English to children who have dropped out of the education system, to being able to search for snares and traps or any other illegal activity plaguing Malaysia’s rainforests. Being a part of such an organic, grass-roots organisation that strives to make a positive impact, leaves you with a sense that you are a part of something incredible. Surrounded by people who are equally passionate only motivates you even more, which is why I decided to extend my internship for another three months. The trust and confidence given within this role is exceptional, where time and space is given to make a difference within the surrounding communities and environment.

I have been at ecoteer's Wildlife Rescue Centre Jogja project for 7 months now as their intern volunteer coordinator. I came here with the focus to improve the volunteer program. Since I have been here we have included cultural engagements and extended wildlife release education programs for volunteers. While I love all of the animals here and want to see the best for them. We also have a unique opportunity to benefit a low economic area with extended education problems and help small traditional business' in the area (e.g gamelan lessons and batik lessons). These were simple things we are able to provide that had been ignored in the past. I have had so many opportunities here to develop personally and I feel more confident in my abilities. But I never came here for myself. I came here for this community and for my volunteers. And I constantly see the amazing opportunities both are offered and the life changing impact it has had on both.

I interned as Yellow House Volunteer Coordinator for 2 months in Sept and really enjoyed my time there, living in a real Malaysian community.

Since Yellow House is a hostel which includes local volunteering activities, my role was to help with the running and up keep of the hostel whilst accommodating guests with local volunteering activities.

My highlight was volunteering at Hilla Community Centre for reguees ( a 10 minute walk away). Every weekday I taught the kids English, science and sport (but any subject you can teach is welcome!). I felt my time there was really appreciated and I think Yellow House bringing volunteers to Hilla is really great for the kids. Its also just a happy place to spend your time! I loved it!

I am 3 months into my internship at the moment and loving every minute. I am a volunteer coordinator in Java, Indonesia where I look after volunteers traveling to the project as well as helping local children and the staff at the centre develop their English skills. The centre here rescues animals that have been trafficked illegally and kept as pets, commonly in poor conditions. The main goals of the centre is to rehabilitate and eventually release whatever animals still stand a chance of survival in their natural habitat. The days are busy and hard work but it's really rewarding to know I am making a difference to the lives of animals such as orangutans, gibbons, eagles and even more species that have been rescued through the confiscation process and also improving the future prospects of the local children who are all eager and keen to learn English from a native speaker. Every day is new with experiences I would never have thought possible if I hadn't applied for the internship through Ecoteer :)