Project GeckOAid

GeckOAid? What's that?

Project GeckOAid is our community programme. Our current mission is to provide transport for doctors (there are several other phases to this project) (and identify other villages for assistance) to get to remote villages in West Malaysia. The government provides helicoptors to ferry doctors to very remote villages. This is supplemented by local mobile clinics that visit the villages every one to four months, depending on the accessiblity and remoteness of the village. However, we at Jungle Geckos have discovered that the villagers in the remotest areas have to walk considerable distances to seek medical treatment. Since most villagers do not own any transport, they sometimes have to walk five kilometers or more while carrying sick infants or children when they know a mobile clinic is in the area.

Our goal was to take the doctors right into these villages using skilled 4x4 drivers and their vehicles. This is an opportunity for those of us in the offroad community of Malaysia to also give something back to the communities where we play and spend our free time.

Read about our successful missions here March 2005, May 2005, July 2005 September Pre Trip Recce Report September July 2005 trip will be posted of course after the trip.

The idea for Project GeckOAid was tossed around over several camp fires (why do we always come up with ideas around camp fires) deep in the Malaysian Jungle and post-jungle trip teh terik meetings at local cafes. How can we help the Orang Asli? Do they need help? Can we get the help we need to help the villagers? A plan was formulated. Phase one was to get regular medical aid to them. Joycelyn, our intrepid journalist, put out a query among some of her contacts and got several replies. One of them had a friend at a hospital who might be able to help. He turned out to be Dr Amar Singh, the head of Pediatrics at the Ipoh Hospital. After several e-mails we made the two-hour trip up to Ipoh to meet Dr Amar. Over cold drinks and fruit, we discussed a plan and our first mission.

We discovered we all had one thing in common. All of us have wondered how to help the Orang Asli at one point or another and how to go about it.

To Doctor Amar's credit, he managed to get together doctors and medical supplies for us. The Jungle Geckos took care of the logistics, food and sponsored three boxes of oranges and some water melons for the kids.

We are not religious or race-based. Our primary target is to get medical aid to the remotest Asli communities in West Malaysia.

Assisting GeckOAid

Do you want to help? We will accept donations of cash (to be used to buy fruit) or goods or your time and vehicle or even volunteer hands, provided their intentions are true. Contact us by e-mail .geckoaid AT junglegeckos.com.

Next GeckOAid Trip

Late August Pos Simpo Recce

Early September (9-11) we are going back to Pos Simpo in Kelantan.

End of October we are going planning Project GeckOAid 4 destination not yet recced and maybe we have a large sponsor we will keep you posted.

Vehicle Requirements

People keep asking, "Can I come along and assist?". We would love to have more volunteers but the interest of our precious cargo - the doctors - volunteers have to ensure that their vehicles meet the following requirements as some of these tracks become dangerous when wet.

• Driver MUST be 4x4 experienced. Trainee drivers slow down the convoy and we operate on tight deadlines as there are at least 200 people per village for the doctors to see.
• Vehicles must be safe and in good condition (jungle scars are okay but badly maintained vehicles are not) as you may have to carry a doctor or a medic volunteer.
• Eyesight - you must be able to drive at dusk and at night as we do not stop until we reach our destination.
• The "Bangla", "winch wench" or "co-pilot" is optional. However, we usually like to keep the co-pilot seat free for the doctors to get a hands on view of the world. Drivers have to assist each other for problems as the doctors are too precious to risk in recoveries.
• Mud Terrain tyres are a minimum for trips like Kg Beswok as it is now starting to rain. We now also know that mud terrain (M/T) tyres are also insufficient, hence the old faithful SIMEX JUNGLE TREKKER II or SIMEX JUNGLE EXTREME CENTIPEDES are the best.
• A winch is highly desirable, along with all recovery gear (recovery gear including snatch straps, highlift jack, shovel and shackles are the minimum). For places such as Pos Simpo in Kelantan, recovery gear is compulsory.
• We do not advise that you bring children on the trip as these trips are not classified as family fun. Also, space is premium as our main priorities are the doctors and their medications.

Project GeckOAid Charity Needs

People keep asking, "Can I come along and assist?". We would love to have more volunteers but the interest of our precious cargo - the doctors - volunteers have to ensure that their vehicles meet the following requirements as some of these tracks become dangerous when wet.

• Driver MUST be 4x4 experienced. Trainee drivers slow down the convoy and we operate on tight deadlines as there are at least 200 people per village for the doctors to see.
• Vehicles must be safe and in good condition (jungle scars are okay but badly maintained vehicles are not) as you may have to carry a doctor or a medic volunteer.
• Eyesight - you must be able to drive at dusk and at night as we do not stop until we reach our destination.
• The "Bangla", "winch wench" or "co-pilot" is optional. However, we usually like to keep the co-pilot seat free for the doctors to get a hands on view of the world. Drivers have to assist each other for problems as the doctors are too precious to risk in recoveries.
• Mud Terrain tyres are a minimum for trips like Kg Beswok as it is now starting to rain. We now also know that mud terrain (M/T) tyres are also insufficient, hence the old faithful SIMEX JUNGLE TREKKER II or SIMEX JUNGLE EXTREME CENTIPEDES are the best.
• A winch is highly desirable, along with all recovery gear (recovery gear including snatch straps, highlift jack, shovel and shackles are the minimum). For places such as Pos Simpo in Kelantan, recovery gear is compulsory.
• We do not advise that you bring children on the trip as these trips are not classified as family fun. Also, space is premium as our main priorities are the doctors and their medications.

If you assist personally, you might have to wear one of these silly yellow t-shirts so we can find you amongst all the villagers. We have designed our GeckOAid T-Shirt and here is the pictures.
Here is the basic design of our new GeckOAid t-shirt (front). Click on the t-shirt for the real pictures.
and then the back. Like it? Want to buy one? You can purchase the t-shirt via the following Link to www.wildasia.net

Postage Rates for JG T-Shirts

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