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Operation Raleigh Expedition to Malaysia

Emma Boswell (nee Hancock)

Two Days Jungle Training: Sabah

This first project was a nightmare, nobody enjoyed it very much. We were all (135 ventures) taken into the Rainforests of Kota Kinabalu or Sabah to camp in groups for two nights. We got caught in a tropical rainstorm, the rivers and the forests flooded so we had to move our camp in the night. Everything and everyone was soaked through and we had to return to HQ earlier because of the floods.

Each of the following projects lasted three weeks.

First Project: Scuba Diving at Megantin Island, Darvel Bay

We stayed on this uninhibited jungle island off East Sabah. The group of 16 venturers and Staff were extremely friendly and willing to help me. We all worked very hard to make the Camp Site for the next three months by cutting trees and clearing the area before we built the bedroom area, food store, kitchen, shower, well, loos, diving equipment and compressor area and tool store.

We were all very proud of our new exotic home life. Later in the week we started to dive off shore from a big fishing boat. We collected sponges living on coral which were to be used in Cancer Research at the Malaysia University. I learnt a lot about marine life. I saw many different types of fish including Crayfish, Coral fish, Parrot fish, Damsel Fish, Barracuda and a three-foot wide Clam! Some other divers saw Sharks and Turtles. I enjoyed my dives and life on a desert island full of insects and small mammals. I was very pleased to pass my Sports Divers Qualification.

Owing to my profound deafness, night blindness and bad balance I have had many problems to overcome so far, I had a lot of communicating with other venturers as they did not understand my speech and I had to write everything down. It was even more difficult after dark because I could not lip-read them.

We had a lot of lectures which caused me a lot of problems as I was too shy to ask for help with notes, etc. I always had to dive with a qualified instructor as my vision was not so good under water, however I managed to dive to 35 metres.

Second Project: Crocker South Kota Kinabalu, West Sabah

I felt a little more confident with my group of only 10 venturers, six of whom were with me for all the projects, so they began to understand me better. Crocker Range is a major feature of Sabah's geography with peaks 6,000 metres high, it was much colder there. Unfortunately I missed the start of this Project due to illness and a stay in hospital. These Venturers spent a week on the Rainforest Trail.

They walked for nine hours each day and cut down trees to make paths. The slops were very steep and they had to carry rucksacks and heavy loads e.g. radio, food and equipment. I was able to join my group again for the climb of mount Kinabalu. It is 14,000 feet high - the highest mountain in South East Asia.

We reached the summit from the hut in 11 hours, after problems with attitude sickness and a lot of support owing to my balance. I was helped by two venturers holding my arms either side very tightly. For three hours we were climbing after dark and had to use a rope. We reached the summit at sunrise and everywhere looked so beautiful it was an incredible sight and I could not believe that we had reached the top, it was quite an achievement. I came down the mountain with another venturer in just two hours! During another part of this project we collected moths and dung beetles and did some experiments with scientists in the rainforest. We also worked in rice fields in KG Punson village which turned out to be a fabulous experience.

First I pulled the old paddy out of the muddy field, then I ploughed the field pulled by a buffalo. Then I joined the group planting the paddy seedings in a nursery - I kept falling into the muddy water as I couldn't control my balance! At the end of this project we did solo-camping in the rainforest for one night.

Third Project: Nanga Bankit, East Sarwak (South Malaysia)

This was very hard work but exciting. We had to build a suspension bridge across the Bankit River. We worked with qualified engineers and local residents to construct this 300ft suspension bridge. The reason for building it was because there are 22 long houses (with approximate 150 people living in each) on one side of the Bankit River and there is only one school in Bankit which is on the other side.

Every year there are floods and the children miss lots of lessons or they are stuck at school as boarders. We stayed in two huts near the school as boarders. We did various different jobs, our work started at 7.30am and we finished after 6pm. First we bent loads of steel bars. We dug up stones and put them into baskets then washed them with a hosepipe - lots of fun for us too, to cool down in the humid weather! We made concrete in the concrete mixer.

We built the third tower life (pier), two sways (for supporting the bridge), the anchor and paths in the North Area. We were amazed when we finished the Noah side which we had taken over from two previous groups. Then we started work on the South Side Area. We had to put the steel bars in cages for the two sways, make the tower pier life and also the anchor.

The local residents finished off the path markings. We had great fun one evening when we were invited to visit a long house for a feast with wine dancing and music, it was a wonderful night. One day I went to the school to teach Art and English with another venturer. We finished the bridge on the very last day of this project, the Expedition Leader was extremely pleased with our hard work. On our last morning we visited a waterfall at Nanga Bankit just before we left for expedition party in Kota Kinabalu and our long trek back to the UK.

My project leader was very worried about me at the start of this project he thought it would be too difficult with my deafness and balance problems but in the end he could not believe that I have gained so much confidence in working and mixing with everyone.

Operation Raleigh has taught me to mix with hearing people, it had improved my speech and lip-reading enormously, it had given me confidence and courage.

I have learnt a great many skills from all three projects. The venturers were so friendly and helpful and I have made lots of new friends. I have learnt to make the first move. It was an incredible experience.

© Nick Sturley / UsherLiffe 2005-10. All Rights Reserved.