Visit Lombok, Indonesia

In February 2011, I visited Lombok, Indonesia, to recce for possible community projects for the local community; to meet with local staff to discuss scope of projects and make necessary arrangements to accomodation for future trips.

We visited Lebuan Pandan and viewed a demonstration farm plot which is experimenting drip irrigation farming.

Next, we visited  Rembitan where a Sasak couple who provides Batik making skills training for young people in an Art Gallery. We discussed possible projects such as building vats for dyeing and washing of batik and teaching of conversational English.

Finally we visited Senaru to discussed possible projects in surrounding villages including building of volleyball court, particiapting in a biogas project and accomodation at a traditional house.

Recce Trip to Philippines

I visited Philippines to establish contact with the locals to explore possible community projects on 21 Feb 2008.

They brought me to Kasiglahan Village in Montalban, Rizal to identify possible solar lighting projects.
This area is a relocation housing that the government provide for them, majority of the recepient are squatters in Metro Manila in the past.

A third of the housing in that area are not within reach to grid electricity.

As a these houses do not have electricity, they do an illegal tapping of electricity to provide they needs. 

They has identified a cluster housing (15 units) where they are in need of solar lighting for these houses, a lamp for each house.

They source of income is by collecting and recycling waste from the rubbish dump and also making souvenirs to sell in the city.

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A typical transportation is called the "Jeepney" which is colourful and has the 'cool factor'

Conclusion, until we are able to get sponsors for the project, it will have to wait.

Visited a Boarding School in Pontianak, Indonesia

In 2005, I visited a boarding school in Pontianak, Kalimantan, Indonesia. I followed a church group who were visiting the school. My role was to study if it is possible to help them make their well water drinkable using a simple water filter system. I brought water samples back for testing and found that the water was acidic. This requires an additional process of neutralisation to raise the pH level of the water to 7.0 before filtering.

Also notice that the water was greenish in the toilet and latter realise that it was due to the acidity in the water attacking the copper pipes.

I did not recommend to install a simple water filter system as they need to address the low pH first.

First Time

My first visit to Cambodia in 2004 was to experience what the country was like.

The first place I visited is a vocational training centre at Kg Speu. A 2 hours drive eastward from the Pochengtong International Airport. They teach english and basic hospitality management for the hotel industry. The students are orphans from nearby orphanages who has grown up and poor rural villagers in desperate need to be equipped with basic vocational skills to be economically viable.


They had their official opening ceremony in October 2004 and the architech was receiving his recognition for his contribution to the training centre.

Next, I went eastward, a 8 hours drive, crossing the Mekong river on a ferry to an orphanage in Prey Veng. The name Prey Veng means long forest but the place is currently a barren land with all its trees cutdown! One of the poorest province in Cambodia. and firewood is expensive.


The orphanage is located in the main town of Prey Veng. A former residence of the French ambasodor, French Mansion. Renovated to house 120 orphans. It has about eigthy orphans when it started. It is supported by sponsors who believed in helping the poor orphans.





The food at the orphanage is simple, always a one dish meal. Rice is plentiful but not the dish.



I visited a poor villager, his house is behind. A small house which can be carried by four persons. There is no electricity. They use kerosene lamp for lighting at night, made from a used tin can.

My first hand experience of poverty in a third world country. This is my journey on technology for the poor where if possible, I can make a difference.