Introduction Weekend Camp Dec 2011 is here and registration is now OPEN!

Ever fancied a life of adventure, discovery and excitement? Join a hundred strangers. Walk a hundred miles. With no change of socks. To sleep with bugs and bathe in streams. Would you give up the comforts of home in pursuit of a crazy dream?

Previous Raleigh International projects include building gravity feeds to supply fresh water to villages, building houses, schools, bridges and libraries; geological surveys, marine conservation work, working with rhinos & orang utans; as well as trekking across the Crocker Range, sea kayaking in Chile and trekking across some of the most arid parts of Namibia.

This year Raleigh International gives young Malaysians the opportunity to embark on life-changing expeditions to Malaysia, Costa Rica-Nicaragua & India. These expeditions challenge young people, between the ages of 17 and 24 through community and conservation work in some of the world’s most remote destinations. Volunteers help build homes, community clinics and work with wildlife experts on some of the world’s most endangered species.

To qualify for an expedition as a Venturer, you have to be between 17-24 years of age, speak basic English and able to swim 200m unaided and qualify yourself at an Introduction Weekend. This Introduction Weekend is designed to simulate the rigours and challenges you will face on expedition. The details for the upcoming Introduction Weekend are as follows:


Dates: 6pm on Friday, 16 Dec to 6pm on Sunday, 18 Dec 2011
Rendezvous: Rakan Muda Youth Club (refer to map)
Contact person: Cynthia: 017 - 954 8007
                             June: 012- 976 8519
Email: iw.secretariat@raleighinternational.org.my
Price: RM65 (before 28th November 2011) ~early bird~
            RM80 (after 28th November 2011)


You may download the form by clicking the url below:
http://www.mediafire.com/?kd1c7zxup4hz43p

This document is your application on Raleigh International Kuala Lumpur’s Introduction Weekend and is your first step to a chance of a lifetime.

Please fill in this form and submit back to us (iw.secretariat@raleighinternational.org.my) by 9th of December 2011. This document once completely filled and submitted will be your request to be accepted into IW and eventually Raleigh expedition. Please note that incomplete applications (incomplete fields, lacking a referral or photo) will not be considered.

December Monthly Meet - Sun burned for a cause

It was a very extraordinary sunny day. Extraordinary because it’s the raining season but the weather was unexpectedly sunny without a breeze. 22 dedicated volunteers gathered at the Sungai Buloh’s KTM station in the early morning. 5 drivers had to drive very carefully through an adventurous distance of muddy and bumpy road to enter the Furry Friends Farm from the main road.

 

When we reached the farm, we were greeted by Sabrina with a swift division of 3 teams – one to build concrete stand for 4 water tanks to supply sufficient water for the farm, one to paint the swings and build huge cages for the dogs and one to patch up holes on cemented floor. We were introduced to a few civil engineer uncles who also volunteered themselves to help up in the farm. The engineer uncles were very kind to teach us how to arrange the bricks to make a wall. We were almost burned and it was very unbearably hot when it was closer to noon time. But as dedicated volunteers we continued with our works.

We had our lunch and refreshing 100 plus drink at a very secluded place, but we still could not run away from the sun.

The work continued after lunch and it is so hot that we start to take turn to rest at the shady place.

 

Finally we are done at 3pm! We managed to build 8 walls which are 5 feets high, painted six swings white, and patch up almost all the holes on the cemented floor.

Sabrina then toured us around her farm to show us the dogs and cats. We managed to played with the cats and have some refreshing packet drinks. Then Sabrina briefed us about the farm and we presented her 8kg of dog food, 7kg of cat food and 22kg of rice as donations from Raleigh.

Then we departed back to KTM Sungai Buloh Station and reached there around 4pm and everyone is happy with what they had contributed to Furry Friend Farm.

Updates on Expedition 11K

Good day,

Do you know how long is a phase on expedition? In this case, it has been two phases down and now the Borneo Venturers are on changeover day. After this changeover they will be heading into their third and final phase. In the midst of the hot and humid tropical rainforest, the Venturers work tirelessly to impact the community and the surroundings in Sabah.

Shen Wah is the latest addition to the list of Malaysian Venturers in Borneo. She is on for the 7 weeks expedition.

Shen Wah concentrating on building the bridge for

the Sepilok Sunbear Conservation Centre

for Alpha 4.

Ng Zhi Min was on trekking mode for a while before going to dive island. And then she went on to trek again later on in the Crocker Range.

Zhi Min is seen here resting and

pondering on the beauty of nature in art form.

Lai Lee Keam (Jean) in Lingka Bugan to enrich the lives of children in the village by building a kindergarten.

Lee Keam with her Alpha 2 showing a funny face for the camera in Lingka Bugan

Liew Chia Sin in Kampung Alab to also build a kindergarten for the villagers.

Chia Sin with her Alpha 1 mate posing for the picture

You can write to the venturers at;

Venturers Name,

Expedition 11K,

Raleigh,

PO Box 14182,

88848 Kota Kinabalu,

Sabah, Malaysia.

Like to know more about expedition or follow the adventures of this 4 brave young women? Go to www.raleighborneo.blogspot.com. All pictures are taken from there.

Read up more on expedition on raleighinternational.org.my or email the Expedition Officer, Shen Quang at expedition@raleighinternational.org.my

Do write to them soon. They will be back in 3 weeks time to tell their new tale.

Monthly Meet Strikes Again

Monthly Meet strikes again and for the month of November, Raleigh heads to Bukit Kala Gombak Orang Asal Village for our basic jungle skills sharing trek.

A crowd of 31 participants braved the early 7.30a.m Saturday morning to gather at our meeting point at Gombak Putra LRT station to begin the meet. Despite the overcast weather, that did not deter the spirit and excitement of our participants to get out there and get down and dirty (literally) in our hike up Bukit Kala.

Introduction session

Usually as part of Raleigh tradition, we would kick things off a round of self introduction, ice breaking and a short briefing about the activities ahead of us but as soon as we got to the site of the hike,it started to rain and things had to be cut short thus we began our hike into the village to meet our Orang Asal guide, Mr Raman.

The hike up to the village itself was challenging on its own, there was no room for error in this hike as we had to cross small rivers, creeks, wooden bridges and most importantly a dark and wet tunnel which set the participants in the right mood for adventure. Upon reaching the village, it was almost as if we were transported to a whole other planet. It seems so still and silent on its own, untouched by the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur despite it being an hour away from the city only.

Crossing the small wooden bridge

The roof of this hut was weaved by Team Charlie from May 2011 IW

According to Mr Rahman, in the particular village that we were in, there is a small settlement of widowed Orang Asal women and their children. They were self sustaining as they had their own crops and clean water.

Mr Raman was also our Orang Asal guide when Raleigh came to help clean up the waterfall and also when Team Charlie of IW May 2011 came to do build huts as a part of their PIWP. In fact, the roof of the hut that we were gathered under in the village was weaved by Team Charlie.

As the focus of our monthly meet is basic jungle skills sharing, we were given a brief before the hike by Mr Raman about the dangers of heading into the deep forests. Hikers must keep their thought, heart and speech pure when heading into the forests as we are to respect Mother Nature and the spirits of the forest. Mr Raman also imparted a lot of his knowledge on how to not get lost and how to trace back your trail in the jungle to us urban city dwellers. Under the unrelenting rain, participants were then split up into groups and we began our hike into to forest.

Our hike began under the cover of the rain and it was adventorous from the beginning on with the steep terrains and muddy grounds. Halfway through the hike, Mr Raman taught us how to start a fire in the jungle with the help of the wood around the forest and with the help of a lighter. We then carried on with our hike to the top of Bukit Kala.

Mr Raman demo-ing how to start a fire in the woods

Bravo to our participants who despite the rain, mud and rocky terrains, managed to complete the entire hike up to the top of Bukit Kala. Due to the overcast weather, we couldn't get a clear view of the Kuala Lumpur cityscape but the sense of achievement when we got up to the peak was enough to compensate it.

Like any other adventure, it has it ups and downs. Lucky for us we were caught in the rain and got lost several times BUT it is the spirit of adventure and perseverance that kept us going through the day. The purpose of this month’s meet was to show us that we shouldn't be complacent with what we have in the city and that we need to get out there and embrace Mother Nature!



Basic First Aid & CPR Course by Malaysian Red Crescent (3 Days Course)

When everyone is enjoying their Raya Haji holidays, a bunch of Raleigh KL members decided not to waste their holidays by taking up First Aid course instead. We would really like to thanks those that came all the way from Johore to join this course especially our Muslim friends that sacrificed their Raya Haji to be there with us.

We started our first day of training in the early morning. Everyone urged to the venue for the training and was welcome by Mr. Pramjeet from The Red Crescent Malaysia. He had been servicing with Red Crescent for 26 years and he is also a Paramedic. The class started after a brief introduction conducted by Mr. Pramjeet. We were fed with a lot of information, which includes the content of a first aid box, Do’s and Don’ts in a first aid box and the quality and character of a first aider.

Besides, we also had the chance to view the real accident cases in Malaysia, with all those discomfort photos which really freaked all of us out. After lunch, we learnt how to use a triangular bandage to support wounded area and we realised the multi great usage of a triangular bandage. The first day of class ended with all the participants had learnt how to wrap their friends up.

The second day started off with theories of first aid in the morning. Then, we were amazed with the methods of lifting injured people or unconscious people, especially the fireman lift! We could actually lift up a person who is 1.5 times heavier than our weight! Many of us have tried out and found it really interesting.

The moment that we were waiting had finally arrived - CPR with Little Anne. If you do not know what is CPR, it actually means Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. All of us had the chance to practice CPR practical skills with Little Anne.

Our second day of training ended with CPR. We were informed to get ready and study for our exam on the next day. We will be qualified to become a first aider if all of us passed the exam!

In the next morning, all of us got ready ourselves for the exam! We were informed that NO DISCUSSION AMONG FRIENDS are allowed during the exam. The one-hour exam ended with a Q&A session with Mr. Pramjeet.
 

In the past 3 days, we had great time learning First Aid with Mr. Pramjeet. He taught us to be alert and resourceful. We should always be aware of our safety before we help others.  Do not act as a HERO or else you will become a ZERO if there is anything happens to you!

Raleigh KL December Monthly Meet - Furry Friends Farm wants nobody but YOU

Furry Friends Farm, located in Kundang, Selangor, is an animal sanctuary for rescued stray dogs, puppies, cats and kittens and other companion (pet) animals that are abandoned, neglected or abused by irresponsible owners. All rescued stray dogs/cats will be given immediate medical attention, vaccinated, de-wormed, with heartworm prevention and neutered/spayed.

Furry Friends Farm has a big vision: To have a Malaysian community w...hich cares, loves and respects all animals and their environment. It is run and managed by volunteer rescuers with the objective of creating a more compassionate and humane society towards animals. With this vision and objective, Furry Friends Farm aims to build a beautiful garden for the animals.

In this December Monthly Meet, Raleigh KL will be volunteering to help them to build the beautiful playground for the animals in Kundang, Selangor. We want nobody but YOU to volunteer with US!

By helping, we will:
• Clean the beautiful garden for the animals
• Feed the animals
• Painting the home for the animals
• Do some building works which will be guided by the person in charge


You may view the past project which we have helped out Furry Friends Farm in year 2010:

Article: http://www.furryfriendsfarm.org.my/products/animal-welfare-education-for-adults-raleigh-international-kl-volunteers-at-furry-friends-farm/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8ic9K-iXAA&feature=player_embedded


Location: Furry Friends Farm, Kundang, Selangor
Date: 3rd Dec 2011 (Saturday)
Meeting point: KTM Sungai Buloh Station
Meeting Time: 7:45am (Please be punctual or else you will be left behind!!)


Itinerary:
07:45am – Meet up at KTM station (Registration)
08:00am – Depart from KTM station to Furry Friends Farm
08:30am – Reach Furry Friends Farm and start Monthly Meet
09:00am – Activity started
12:00pm – Lunch time
12:45pm – Back to work
03:30pm – Chill and relax
04:30pm – Back to KTM station

Early Bird Period (before 24th Nov)
Raleigh Member: RM12
Non-Member: RM15

Normal Period (after 24th Nov)
Raleigh Member and Non-member: RM 20

*The fee is inclusive of 2 way transport, lunch and small donation to Furry Friends Farm

Hurry up! Register yourself for a meaningful weekend!


How do I register?

Step 1: Register yourself at http://goo.gl/DTNdT

Step 2: To secure your seat, please bank in the full payment to our CIMB account within a week from registration.

Step 3: Take a photo of your bank in slip and email to monthlymeet@raleighinternational.org.my

Step 4: You will receive a confirmation email and details of what to bring on the day.


Please kindly bank in the full payment to:

Beneficiary Name: Pertubuhan Raleigh International Kuala Lumpur
Name of Beneficiary Bank: CIMB Bank Berhad
Account Number: 1430-0006860-05-5

**For those who pay through ATM machine, we understand that the machine can only accept RM5/RM10/RM50 notes. Don’t worry! You will receive the change from us on that day! =)


Registration Deadline: 30th November 2011


Things to bring:
1. Wear proper shoes
2. Long pants and long sleeves (recommended)
3. Hat / Cap (recommended)
4. Gloves
5. Drinking water (minimum 2L) or more
6. Day bag
7. Change of clothes
8. Small towel
9. Extra sandals or slipper to change
10. Soap for hand wash*
11. Umbrella/Raincoat, in case it rains
12. Personal snack*

*Please be noted that all the dogs are free from the cages
* Will it be smelly? YES!
* Will it be a hot day? YES!


If you have any queries, feel free to contact us at:
monthlymeet@raleighinternational.org.my

OR call us after working hours at

Khee Leong (012-9710781)
Marble (012-6137525)
CK (012-3852051)

Blindfolded Marathon

One Man. . .

26.2 Miles. . .

Total Darkness

An Incredible Feat with an Exceptional Cause

On 20th November 2011 during the Penang Bridge

International Marathon, a man named Tim will be in one of

the most amazing run of his life.

---A Blindfolded Marathon---

He'll be running 42.195km, for about 6 hours, all for a good cause.


The charity event is to fundraise for Raleigh Borneo Expedition and Malaysia Glaucoma Society.

Glaucoma, the silent killer of eye, is a leading cause of blindness in people. Were you aware that almost all blindness due to glaucoma can be prevented? Hence, Tim will embark his journey to Sabah with one of the aim to provide Basic Vision Acuity Test to the people during community phase.


You can help to support Tim through a nominal donation of RM 20 or more to send him for expedition, and also sponsor a child with eye problem to seek treatment.


Please respond by visiting http://www.blindfoldmarathon.blogspot.com/ to pledge your support and to find out more.



To donate, please bank in to the following account or pass donation to collectors.


Beneficiary Name : Lok Chen Haw

Account Number : 1236-0036663-52-1

Bank : CIMB Berhad



We truly believe that a lot of blindness is unnecessary, so help to support our cause on this Run For Sight - Blindfold Marathon. Thank you in advance and you can make in a chance in someone's life.


^ ^

Passionate Runner,

Tim

Borneo Spring 2012 Venturer To Be

+60 12 485 4990