I also watched in admiration as the
teachers and students made eco bricks.
There is no rubbish collection service
in Ba’Kelalan but most of the waste is
recycled or reused as compost or fuel for
open kitchen fires. Plastic is a big problem
as it is everywhere so the students came
up with the brilliant idea of stuffing small
pieces of plastic into plastic drink bottles.
These eco bricks are used like regular
housing bricks to build a reading room
that the teachers are currently designing.
TOUCHING DOWN
Ba’Kelalan is not as isolated as it once
was, as MASWings flies in three times a
week and the small airport has its own
international airport code (BKM). An air
traffic controller sounds a siren as the
plane approaches to alert the village.
When a plane lands it can get downright
hectic since many of the villagers come
out to welcome visitors.
Within 10 minutes of touching down, I
think I was introduced to and shook the
hands of about half the village.