An ambitious new international project initiated by the Rotary Club of Albert Park, Vic., will see a Rotary presence for the first time in an almost forgotten region of one of our nearest neighbours, Borneo.
Borneo now faces an environmental and humanitarian crisis brought about through rampant destruction of its once pristine rainforests.

This destruction has been mainly through illegal logging, clearing and resultant bushfires.
The livelihoods of the people of Borneo were closely bound to their forest home, which provided them with most of their subsistence requirements.

The forest destruction means many local people are facing generations of hardship and limited survival prospects. Literally ”from the ashes” of their old forest home, with the assistance of the Rotary Club of Albert Park and hopefully other partner clubs, a new forest home, Samboja Lestari, is being grown and developed.
At Samboja Lestari, 1,600 hectares of barren, desolate rural land, is being replanted with sufficient fruit and income-producing trees and crops.

Cottage industries also are being developed to provide self-sustainable, life-time income and support for 650 native families.

Each family will be provided with sufficient land, planted with project-provided sugar palm trees. These trees are a highly- prized resource as they yield up to 50 different income-producing products, the principal product being palm sugar syrup.

The local people gain both financially and environmentally. They receive income from working in the rehabilitation area, by selling the fruits and vegetables grown between the planted trees, from sugar palm products and from a retainer they receive for protecting the area.

Further information: Ken Murray, Rotary Club of Albert Park, Vic. Telephone: (03) 9645 2393 Email: ken@ceg.com.au

Illegal logging, shown here, clearing and resultant bushfires means Borneo now faces an environmental and humanitarian crisis. Its once pristine rainforests have been rampantly destroyed.