Pulau Mantanani is a group of three isolated islands in the South China Sea, about 15km off the coast of western Sabah towards the northern tip of Borneo.  They lie northwest of Kota Belud, about 80 km and 1 hour north of Kota Kinabalu.  The islands look like paradise with white sand beaches, piles of ancient driftwood, crystal clear seas and incredible marine life.  The inner lagoon is home to juvenile green turtles as well as large reefs and their associated eco-systems.  In fact, the reefs represent the most productive shallow water habitats of the northwestern side of Borneo.

Sabah is home to SE Asia’s largest nesting collective of Green and Hawksbill turtles; but sadly the region’s turtle population has been depleted.  These amazing creatures are now on the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group’s top-ten priority listing for conservation.  The long term harvesting of eggs and adults, and the killing of turtles as by-catch in the expanding trawl fisheries, has left many turtle species endangered, or critically endangered.  However the population of juvenile turtles present around the Mantanani Islands represents the first-ever documented evidence in SE Asia, of foraging turtles.  Previously the only data available related to their hatching and laying eggs, without any information from the period in between.  The fact that research is able to be carried out on their foraging habits means that Mantanani turtles represent a vital research population in a potentially doomed species.  An understanding of the relationships and population dynamics at this key foraging site will be crucial to scientists’ understanding of the larger-scale and longer-term environmental impacts. 

Unfortunately, despite the pristine appearance of the islands, there are deep-rooted human environmental problems on Mantanani.  Facilities for the people living on the island are poor, and their environmental awareness has been lost.  Combined with their remoteness and the lack of availability of education, humans are causing other devastating problems for the surrounding marine eco-system.  The reefs support the fishing habits of the local community, but they are threatened by unsustainable fishery practices including blast and cyanide fishing techniques.  In addition, the use of gill nets and reef-gleaning fishing with hookah systems threaten the very livelihood on which the local community depends.  As well as over-fishing, the community collects invertebrates, and the over-harvesting of giant clams in particular has led to their near extinction around the islands.  Octopus, cockles, hermit crabs, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and others are at risk, and they represent a major part of a fish’s diet at some stage of the food chain. 

There are no waste dumping grounds, no incinerators for domestic waste, and no sewage facilities. That means waste is disposed of by dumping it in the ocean.  Plastics, styrofoam, metals, glass and all kinds of refuse litter the lagoon waters, and there is little understanding of the impacts of these actions.  To compound matters, revenues from natural resources, such as those garnered from tourism, never reach the community.  It is an unfair resource balance sheet that the community wants to address, but they lack the knowledge or capacity to do it.  Poor awareness of the impact of these unsustainable practices, together with the marginalised and poor status of the villagers, drive these processes.

The single community of approximately 800 villagers on the island is comprised mainly of subsistence fishing families and as such poverty is rife.  The primary school on Mantanani holds the dubious honour of being the only Malaysian school to have had a 100% failure rate for primary exams (2006).  Possible reasons for the poor performance at the school have been given as the poverty of the local community and the supposed need for youngsters to work with families rather than attend classes; no provision for “early years” education leading to pupils falling behind compared to the national average; lack of infrastructure for basic teaching needs and those extra facilities to help motivate and excite the children (Playground, sports facilities etc); and lack of facilities for teachers, especially those from the mainland who stay on the island during school days leading to a disheartened faculty and teachers often spending time away from the island, which means classes are often cancelled.

In line with the Camps International Trust House aim (through education and opportunity, enable communities, and in particular marginalized groups within these communities, to break the circle of poverty) Camp Borneo’s aim is to use the Trust House concept on Mantanani to provide education and artisanal training to unemployed and disaffected youth, in order to re-engage them into society as well as providing employment and income generation opportunities, either on the island or on the mainland. 

Our vision is to bring our experience and success together to create a learning and training centre for young people that will help them to re-discover their self worth, help to hold onto traditional artisanal skills and trades, generating a sense of pride and identity in the youth of Mantanani whilst also developing employment and income generation opportunities for them.  Where possible we will use only elements which are relevant and common to the very core and character of the island. 

The central facility for these activities will be the already constructed Community Learning Centre which it is aimed will become a self sufficient, self managed resource and training centre which is fully sustainable through local income generation within 3 years and forms an integral part of every island youth’s transition into full time employment.

Since the Community Learning Centre is already constructed and virtually ready for use, the main focus of the project is now establishing an effective and sustainable training plan.  Initial exploratory discussions and workshops were started with local community members and other key stakeholders in early 2013.

Areas of Learning/Skills to form Training Programme:

~ Tourism and hospitality training

~ Artisan Crafts and Skills

~ Cultural & Traditional Dance skills

~ Conservation and Environmental Programme Training

~ Formation of Youth’s Nature Club

~ Basic website design

~ English language classes

~ Other General Educational Programmes including IT and “dealing with tourists”

Outline Funding Requirements (GBP) – Total GBP 7,000

·       Establishment of Training Programme inc workshops - 500

·       Equipping of CLC - 2000

·       Certification & Course administration – 2,000

·       Miscellaneous Costs – 2,500