Lombok
Island
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Mount
Rinjani |
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Gili
Island |
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Komodo
Island |
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About
Us |
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Rinjani
Clothing Bank Project
Gunung (Mount) Rinjani on the island of Lombok stands at 3726m
a.s.l. Its summit is considered by both Balinese and Sasaks as
sacred, and the thermal hot pools that flow from its volcanic
center are said to have immense healing properties. The
mountain is surrounded by a National Park, with varying
ecologies including savannah, rain forests and high altitude
cloud forests. Because of these attractions, the Rinjani
National Park attracts approximately 1000 foreign visitors
plus thousands more Indonesians each year. Many of these
visitors solicit the help of local porters to carry their
backpacks and other luggage through the park.
These porters are all male, ranging in age from 15 to 55
years. As the treks into the park are seasonal, most work as
porters on a part time basis, supplementing the money they
earn being farmers and laborers. They are usually the main, if
not, sole bread winner in the family with a great deal of
responsibility placed on their shoulders.
Unfortunately, most porters are unable to afford warm clothing
to protect themselves from the cold, wind and rain. While some
are provided with warm clothing by their employers, many are
not. The result of which is a high number return to their
homes, their land and families too ill to contribute to what
is already a difficult life.
In consultation with the park Board, we ( No Roads Expedition
- Rinjani Trekking Club )are establishing Indonesia's first
Clothing Bank. The Bank will provide all porters with warm,
wind proof and rain resistant jackets. The Bank will loan
these jackets out to Porters who will be working in the Park
and these jackets will be returned to the Bank at the
completion of their trek. Returned jackets will be examined
and cleaned before they are put back into service for the next
Porter. The Porters will not pay for the jackets. They will
simply provide their name and contact details and how long
they will need the jackets for. The system is based on honesty
and the belief in human nature.
There will be two Banks established; one in Senaru on the
northern slopes of the Park and the second will be based in
Lawang on the eastern side of the Park. The establishment of
these outlets assures that Porters do not need to return the
jacket to where they borrowed it. Lawang and Senaru represent
the two major entry and exit points to the Park and are thus
natural places to situate the Banks.
The administration of the Bank will be undertaken by the
Gunung Rinjani National Park Board, which is headquartered in
Mataram, Lombok's capitol and with regional offices in Senaru
and Lawang. The Board has worked in recent years with NZ Aid,
to incorporate local communities into the tourism aspects of
the Park. Their work has helped the Rinjani National Park win
the recent National Geographic/ World Legacy Best Stewardship
Award.
No Roads Expeditions along with the Rinjani Trekking Club take
clients into the National Park. We work closely with local
Porters and Guides as well as community groups and relevant
Guest Houses. Through our network of contacts and exposure to
an International Clientele, we are the vehicles through which
people can donate jackets.
What can you do?
No Roads and the Rinjani Trekking Club are collecting jackets
for the Bank. If you have a wind proof and warm jacket such as
a polar fleece/ gortex wind breaker or anything equivalent
that is in good order then you can donate that jacket to the
Bank.
If you are in Lombok you can drop your jacket in at:
Rinjani Trekking Club office at:
Jl. Raya Senggigi Km 08 - Mataram - Lombok NTB - Indonesia.
Phone; 62 370 693202
mail : rtc.senggigi@gmail.com
For anywhere else, you can send the jacket to:
No Roads Expeditions
P.O Box 109 Southland Centre,
Cheltenham, VIC Australia 3192 ( peter@noroads.com.au )
We are looking for 100 jackets for the Bank, so if you have a
jacket that you don't use or you would like to buy a new one,
rest assured it will be going to good use.
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