Volunteer at our non-profit bar in Kuching, Malaysia
ReportLocation: Kuching, Malaysia
Orangutan Project is a non-profit conservation organisation and UK registered charity. We own 50% of two bars in Kuching and our organisation’s entire share of the profits support wildlife conservation and welfare work across Borneo. The bars are run by local staff and volunteers provide support.Monkee Bar: Our first non-profit bar, MonkeeBar is one of Kuching’s most popular nightspots. The atmosphere is fun, the music is loud, the drinks are always flowing, and we have regulars that love us and keeping coming back! For Monkee we are looking for volunteers who can commit to a minimum of 4 weeks of bar-tending.
Bear Garden: With a kitchen serving vegan bar snacks and outdoor seating, Bear Garden’s atmosphere is more relaxed. There’s space for large groups, board & card games for families in the early evening, and often dancing late at night! The type of work is varied with volunteers assisting with maintenance projects and shopping for supplies as well as cooking and bar work. We ask for a minimum commitment of 4 weeks.
Whilst our bars provide paid employment for a large team of local people, one of the ways that we can maximise profit for wildlife conservation and welfare outcomes is to also welcome volunteer staff to work at the bars - this is where you come in! We are passionate conservationists and we strive to spread the word about the plight of wildlife amongst locals and tourists alike. We feel that volunteering with us is a great opportunity for people who are travelling the world and want to do some good for the planet at the same time.
Volunteers should be enthusiastic and out-going. They should be driven, with high energy, an interest in conservation and animal welfare issues. Previous experience with hospitality work may help, but certainly isn't essential.
We are looking for self-motivated, outgoing people with robust problem-solving skills who can hit the ground running and have a passionate interest in conservation and animal welfare.
The ideal volunteer for this work will be very sociable and excited to meet new people, work seamlessly as part of a team and help to keep this team motivated with their energy.
Free accommodation is provided in one of 2 shared volunteer houses in Kuching. Both houses are within walking distance of the bars and close to local amenities. Both houses are fully furnished, have hot showers and western toilets. Unlike many other volunteer-exchange projects you will not be residing with a host family or staff, rather you will be living with other volunteers. Therefore, it’s completely random how many people you may be sharing the house with. If you’re a solo traveller you should always be prepared to share a room with another volunteer of the same gender. Couples will get a private room. Whilst we do our best to keep your share house tidy it is also the responsibility of every volunteer to keep the house presentable and do their fair share of chores such as washing own dishes and so on. Basically you need to think of it like staying in a little hostel. Because you will be living with other volunteers it is not logistically possible for us to provide you with food on this project and therefore only accommodation will be provided.
Additional Perks: The volunteer accommodation is within a 5 minute walk of Basaga Holiday Residences - a boutique guesthouse, whose owner is our business partner. Volunteers are therefore welcome to use the facilities at this guesthouse whenever they like - there is free Wi-Fi, a swimming pool and a very comfortable restaurant/lounge area. However, obviously you will need to pay for any food and drink that you consume at Basaga, it's NOT free as part of the project, nor is the food and drink at Bear Garden or MonkeeBar.
In Kuching you are also in easy distance of some of Borneo's national parks, so if you have a general interest in wildlife, rainforests and nature, this is an excellent place to come and spend some time.
