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Host rating
80 %
Last replied
13 Feb 2025
Feedback
54
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Details
Description
ABOUT OUR ORGANISATION:
Why Volunteer With US
Situated in the heritage village of Batu Arang, about 45 km away from Kuala Lumpur, this Community is the only welfare organisation in Malaysia that provides shelter, care & support to homeless men with HIV/AIDS who are disabled or in need of nursing care. We have 3 welfare homes that house and care for over 40 residents. Being a grassroots organisation that is understaffed and under-resourced, we largely depend on volunteers and donors for our day to day operations.
If you want to contribute to a project that is meaningful, and brings value that is very much appreciated and needed in the lives of the least in our midst, join us. Your contributions will go a long way. Judging from previous volunteer experience, you will most likely leave our project satisfied, happy with time well spent, and with good company. This is a great opportunity to make a real contribution that will have a direct impact on how our residents live their lives.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Farmstay help
Help around the house
Charity Work
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
- Residents are always with a smile, and many are able to converse in English, and like to communicate with the volunteers. They like to share about their colourful history, and have meaningful cultural exchanges with volunteers from all over the world.
- The food is a fusion of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Western influence.
- There is a volley ball court and football field in town where volunteers can approach the locals and play together with them.
- Traditional Malay Martial Arts classes are available for free at the Silat Seni Gayung Society in Batu Arang.
- You will more than likely be sharing the cottage with other volunteers, and based on previous volunteers' experience, it is it a happy and comfortable space where you get to know and spend time with one another. Often, our volunteers organise their own trips and activities, around Batu Arang, Kuala Lumpur and further away.
- Batu Arang has an equal distribution of locals - Malay, Chines and Indians, and there is ample opportunity to learn from the different cultures by visiting the various religious places, as well as walking around the morning market and sampling the various food.
- Batu Arang is a heritage town, and there are special signs around the town to point our building and places of significance to the history of Batu Arang.
Help
We ask that you work for 5 days a week, usually Mon-Fri, 5 hours a day. This does not include lunch break, siesta break and cigarette breaks (for those who are smoking).
All tasks given to volunteers do not involve being in physical contact with our residents. The function of the volunteers is mainly to provide support to maintain/enhance the living spaces and the farm.
HOW YOU CAN HELP US
Volunteers usually work with the residents, mainly at our 3.5 acre farm where we are currently maintaining our tea plantation and exploring several other income generating activities that are farm based. Occasionally we may have some small carpentry, painting or building projects going on at the farm or one of our 3 welfare homes.
We are also always on the lookout for people who are especially gifted in writing, graphic & web design, video making, media & communications, fundraising, project management or admin work. If you're a nutritionist, or chef, who is comfortable with the task of whipping up healthy and yummy food for about 45 people at any one time, we will be happy to assign some kitchen helpers and have you cook for us form time to time.
Most of our general tasks are fit for volunteers of all ages above 18, whether you are a student, career breaker, or simply looking to do a volunteer work over a vacation.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Malay: Fluent
Chinese (Mandarin): Fluent
Accommodation
Accommodation
Volunteers have separate accommodation at a nearby cottage, about 10 minutes walk from the farm. We have a private bedroom that can accommodate 2 people, and a separate dormitory style room with 2 bunk-beds, accommodating 4 people. All with fan. The cottage has its own kitchen, living room area, 2 bathrooms (one with hot water), chill out area in the porch, and large garden with a pond.
Facilities
Cooking: stove & oven, fridge, toaster, blender, utensils and crockery.
Utilities: Washing machine, hot shower, compost pile.
Internet
Internet is available at the cottage on weekdays, after working hours to 11 pm.
There is internet near the farm office area during working hours.
Food
Breakfast, Lunch & dinner is delivered 7 days a week for volunteers on site.
*️️️️️️️️️ Vegetarians who are adaptable & proactive are welcome to join us. We make it a point to try our level best to have a vegetarian option for meals whenever we have vegetarian volunteers. There is a daily morning market where volunteers can get extra supplies if they want to cook a more complete vegetarian meal for themselves.
*️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️ For incidentals such as detergent/coffee/tea/snacks/beverages/toiletries etc, please purchase prior to arrival, or you can buy such items from local shops situated in the town of Batu Arang, about a 10-15 min walk from the cottage.
ATM & Spending Money
The nearest ATM is 10 km away. There is no ATM in Batu Arang, so please come stocked up with some spending money for the duration of your stay.
Safety & Security
Volunteers are encouraged to have their valuables with them at all times. We will not be responsible for any loss of property or valuables. There is a big chest in each of the room that can be fitted with individual locks, if volunteers want to store their valuables in the cottage.
Pets
We do not allow pets in the cottage.
Transport & Travel Favours
As a rule this is not available, so please refrain from asking our staff for travel favours.
Excursions
We try to organise group excursions every fortnight depending on availability, interest & weather. Volunteers who join are asked to contribute RM 10 per head to cover petrol costs.
What else ...
Batu Arang is a quiet little town, where everything is within walking distance. There are busses to KL, about 3 times a day. The tourist destination, Kuala Selangor is about 50 km away, and also accessible by bus. Kuala Selangor Nature Park, Bukit Melawati, the Pasir Penampang Seafood Village and the Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park are situated in Kuala Selangor. Besides that, there are lesser known historical places to explore in Batu Arang itself, and there is the daily morning market brimming with fresh produce, some grown in Batu Arang itself.
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 (29)
With tasks, and living conditions, he was accomodating and flexible with various situations, which are bound to arise; in our case, while he and another volunteer was helping us in setting up new volunteer accomodations.
His skills… read more
I highly… read more
Photos
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
With tasks, and living conditions, he was accomodating and flexible with various situations, which are bound to arise; in our case, while he and another volunteer was helping us in setting up new volunteer accomodations.
His skills… read more
I highly… read more
- Sabina worked with us on the possible jobs and tasks (program for the residents, working on the new building, etc.) and inspired us with her energy and positivity. You can also have great conversations with her.
- The residents are incredibly friendly and grateful… read more
The job I did there wasn't though at all and I… read more
Initially I planned to stay for only 1 week but as time passed by I wanted to stay more and more and at one point, I did not want to leave this place. TIME FLYS WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN AND SPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE LIVING AT THE "VOLUNTEER'S SUNSET COTTAGE". I… read more
We worked 5 days a week... on our days off, sabina organised and joined us… read more
I stayed in Batu Aran 2,5 weeks and it was a great time. It was wonderful to be involved in an action of the organizasion, getting to know the crew as well as people they are taking care of. With other voluteers we were living in separete house,… read more
Much… read more
Other than the obvious discomforts of staying at a place in need of economic help everything worked and my needs and the needs of other volunteers were… read more
Jack and Jane's set of skills was very useful to us, and we certainly appreciated the professional manner in which they set about getting… read more
The food that's provided is… read more
Thank you Sabina for the good time and the tasty Sambal and thank you Jon for the great day out!
All is perfect :
The cottage where the volunteers stay is nice, spacious and clean. You have your own kitchen if you want and plenty of trees around where you can pick fruits. You can spend very nice time between colourfull volunteers during late evenings or simply… read more
Because of their positive outlook, we are sure Josephine and Leo are having a great time, with good company, wherever they are. They are proactive, and responsible and can be left to do work independently, giving it much thought and consideration; always surprising us with something more than expected. They are considerate and… read more
This was my fifth Workaway but my first in Malaysia so I wasn't sure what to expect but as soon as I arrived I was looked-after and made to feel welcome. The Workawayer's cottage is excellent, spacious and well equipped and you'll have your own private… read more
The organisation has several houses, each serving a different purpose, spread about across the small village of Batu Arang. We stayed in a small cottage with the other volunteers. To… read more
