Photos by Cristian Sola Mir and Arkitrek

Bukit Gumantung is the highest hill in the northern region of Kudat, Sabah with 350 to 400 hectors of primary rainforests blanketing its landscape. The Rungus tribes residing at its foothills which are made up of 10 villages have formed a committee to become caretakers for the conservation of Bukit Gumantung. A 40 minutes to an hour of jungle trekking will bring trekkers to the top of the hill with a view of Kudat’s breathtaking landscapes. Since the 13th of July 2015, seven Arkitrekkers have been hard at work, assisting in developing a project on Bukit Gumantung for the communities living there.

The Rungus communites are currently establishing a small trekking camp on the summit and the purpose of building the trekking camp is so that locals can continue protecting the rich forest environment in a more active manner, making it financially self-sustaining and also making sure that ethno-botanical knowledge from the elders can be passed down onto the younger generation. The trekking camp provides them a place to meet with facilities such as shelter, a place for washing as well as cooking. Hence the given name, The Gathering Place.

The small budget of MYR 20,000 that the community have raised will be used for construction materials and are saving money by sourcing hardwood timber from fallen trees. They have asked Arkitrek to assist in the project and Arkitrek has come up with a team of Arkitrekkers to design and build the trekking camp. The team is made up of six camp participants with camp leader Sarah Greenlees in charge.

Ian Hall, founder and managing director of Arkitrek said,”Not only do the Arkitrekkers have to design and build the project, but they also help spread the villagers’ environmental message of forest conservation”. Besides that, they are also given the opportunity to be exposed to a totally new cultural environment outside of their comfort zones. Though it can be a challenge for them to interact with the locals as all of them are foreigners, they manage by communicating simple Malay phrases which they have learned during their stay and providing drawings and sketches. The villagers there especially the children seem to be more engaged an attracted to colors and pictures and provide positive feedback to the participants about their designs and plans.

The progress of the project had stopped for almost a week due to heavy rain, which made it impossible for the Arkitrekkers to carry all the building materials needed up the steep hill. Now with better weather and gotong-royong support from the communities, work is progressing quickly and the trekking camp is estimated to complete by the first week of September.

Dr. Paul Porodong, senior lecturer in Sociology and Social Anthropology of University Malaysia Sabah has this to say, “This project will have lasting impact on the younger generations of former forest cultivators especially over the 4,000 primary and secondary school students from schools around Bukit Gumantung and other parts of Kudat District. The trekking camp will provide a learning platform for the local community to pass their ethnobotanical knowledge. We aim to convert all visitors into nature lovers”. Dr, Paul Porodong himself was born and raised in one of the villages at the foothill of Bukit Gumantung and sees this idea as something that will definitely benefit the community there.