Profile information
Host rating
80 %
Last replied
21 Mar 2025
Feedback
53
Email verified
Badges (3)
Details
Description
*Couples/ Pairs Preferred*
* Families are also welcomed *
*3 weeks minimum stay*
My name is Natsir and I live with my family in a small village called Rembon - about 8km away from Makale, the main town in Tana Toraja. I am an organic farmer and a teacher. I teach in the local school in my village and I also run a free Nature School (where we teach English and run classes on the environment, arts & crafts, music, etc...) for kids living in the surrounding villages.
I used to be a volunteer for an international organisation, help children born with cleft palet to receive free surgery. I hope to do this again in the future.
My project is non-profit and is based on the principles of learning, sharing and empowering.
We offer a caring and friendly environment and are open to you helping us in ways that interest you and that match your abilities.
The help needed whilst you're here is a mixture of working in the garden and teaching english in my nature school.
The garden work involves planting, digging ponds, building paths, harvesting turmeric, coffee and cocoa. Plus whatever is needed for the project at the time!
The nature School runs every Mon, Wed and Fri at 2.30pm to 4pm with English lessons, arts & crafts, music - basically anything that involves creativity and imagination.
Although not the expectation, resources for the classroom are greatly appreciated, for example colouring pencils/pens, non-permanent white board markers, A4/A3 white paper, pencil sharpeners, scissors, glue sticks etc. Should you be able to bring something, please contact me prior to your arrival as I will have a better idea of what we are running low on.
Since I also teach in the school in my village, volunteers may sometimes get to accompany me to my classes (once a day) in the school, where English based lessons will be taught.
While staying with us, we will provide you with three delicious, healthy meals each day, prepared by my lovely wife Diana and daughter Irma (vegans and vegetarians are easily accommodated). You will have the choice of staying in one of the 4 bamboo bungalows overlooking the garden. We provide a mattress, a mosquito net, electricity and warm sheets and pillows. The bathroom is local style (cold shower and squat toilet). For laundry please bring your own laundry powder/ gel to clean your clothes (we can provide the water and buckets) :-)
You can reach us by taking a flight to Makassar (UPG) and a direct bus from Makassar Daya Terminal to Makale Terminal. Previous volunteers have booked Litha &Co and also Borlindo.
We will pick you up at the terminal and take you to our house on top of a beautiful mountain overlooking rice fields.
UPDATE - November 2023
In addition to the regular stream of volunteers, we are currently looking for people who could make a longer term commitment - somewhere between 3-6 months would be perfect.
In particular, we need someone to help promote and build the existing project, for example updating the social media, fundraising, promoting our chocolate making classes, running the air bnb bookings.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Help around the house
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Tana Toraja is full of history and culture, with many places to visit. You may have the opportunity to learn and see a lot about our traditions and culture. You may also have the opportunity to see and learn traditional Torajan dance, music, art etc.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
When teaching the local children, please free to incorporate your own ideas. Although we have a book here that collates the ideas of our past volunteers, teaching ideas seem to work best when the teacher has ownership of the creative input.
Please remember that the children will often come to class straight from school so keeping the sessions fun and interactive is the way to go! The child love learning new skills, so if you have a particular artistic skill - a recent volunteer made her own jewellery and taught the children to make their own - you could base some of your sessions around this skill/hobby.
Volunteers can get involved in the process of making our raw chocolate, from harvesting the cacao to customising the chocolate with the flavours they prefer (ginger, peanut, chilli and coconut) and of course enjoy the results!
We also roast our own coffee, make "crazy tea" and grow traditional medicinal plants, turmeric, lemongrass, ginger and many other varieties.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Indonesian: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
We have 4 bamboo houses next to each other, so you can choose in which one you want to stay.
Volunteers will get a private room with mattress, blanket, pillow and electricity.
Toilets and shower are local style (cold water only), but always clean!
Our house is on top of a small hill with a great view and nature is all around the place (very quiet).
It really is a great way to discover our lifestyle - you will live with the family and be a part of it!!!
What else ...
Tana Toraja is one of the largest tourist destinations on Sulawesi Island, less than 10 km from our place. In the area, you can do cultural visits, sports (trekking, motorbike, fishing, rafting, ...).
From Toraja you can also reach other destinations by bus, plane or motorcycle.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (51)
Their home is located on a beautiful mountaintop with views across the forest and sky, a beautiful rural setting! I loved working in the garden and cacao groves, the work varies and is always interesting -… read more
By starting the project, Natsir did a lot for the community. He has a very inspiring and interesting story to tell and I think it would be amazing if somebody, who likes to write,… read more
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(4.9)
Their home is located on a beautiful mountaintop with views across the forest and sky, a beautiful rural setting! I loved working in the garden and cacao groves, the work varies and is always interesting -… read more
By starting the project, Natsir did a lot for the community. He has a very inspiring and interesting story to tell and I think it would be amazing if somebody, who likes to write,… read more
The family welcomed us in and looked after us as if we were part of the family. Natsir is such a warm and humble person. He is always smiling and never pushes you to do something you… read more
First of all, they are kind, hard working and resourceful people, and they will take you in and look after you. Second of all, they need all the help they can get, getting started again after… read more
Natsir family are very very kind, and the place is very peaceful and traditional in the nature of Indonesia. I learn a lot about eco-garden and that will we help me for sure in the futur ! the children of very nice and I hope… read more
I really struggle to find the words to tell you how AMAZING my experience there has been!
I can tell you this: Natsir is the humblest, most compassionate and most inspiring person I have had the luck to meet in my life, seriously!… read more
We spent one week in torajah and we learn a lot about the torajah culture and about the way of living of this community. An indescriptible discover.
His beautiful garden is built with love, you can fill the good vibes of the family, connected with the… read more
They live on top of a… read more
We had an amazing experience in this village called Rembon. You truly get to share and experience the Toraja culture while living with all of Natsir's… read more
Natsir's family and place will always have a special place in our heart and in our mind. Other volunteers have left very detailed comments/reviews that will help you knowing more about what to expect from a few weeks of life there. We would just like to add our positive feedback and incentive anyone with good energy to go and… read more
I mainly stayed in school and tought English, sometimes I went with Natsir to the school in Makale, and sometimes I just helped cooking,… read more
Natsir is mostly dedicating his time to the garden and will leave the classes to you. There have been… read more
We spent one month at Natsir's and leaving was lot tougher than we'd imagined. Indeed, we learned so much, however what will forever remain in our hearts is everything we shared on a human level.
How we got there:
There are daily and night buses leaving from Makassar daya terminal to Toraja (30 mns taxi ride from the airport to Daya… read more
Normaly, we started the day giving a hand in the garden (doing some weeding… read more
I had my own room and bed. Diana made me the best meals I've had my entire time in Indonesia. And when I had… read more
Natsir's children are so much fun, Diana's cooking is healthy and totally delicious and the experience of planting, picking, drying, grinding and drinking coffee is priceless.
The… read more
I whish I could have stayed longer, so I would recommend the future volunteers to stay for more than 2 weeks in order to really be immersed in his great projects of free english school and eco-farming. Even in only two weeks I saw improvements in the… read more
Natsir and his… read more
We learned how to harvest and grill coffee beans, we discovered a huge number of edible (and delicious) plants, and most of all, we met beautiful people: Mr Natsir and his family,… read more
It was fun to talk english to a lot of children, students and other people; to help other teachers.
And all this while living at his house with his family, so in the culture!
The gave me my own room, with enough privacy, the food was delicious and can not tell how nice these people… read more
