VOLUNTEERING IN SUMBA, INDONESIA

1. Please introduce yourself (age, national, current location, current job, if you have one)

Hi, I’m Karishma! Born in Japan, raised in Singapore, and culturally Indian - I define myself as a third culture kid who is constantly curious about the world.

Being a multi-passionate person with lots of interests, I’ve tried many things on my journey to finding what lights me up. After getting a bachelors degree in Hospitality from Switzerland, I initially pursued a career in hotel operations, event management and finally digital marketing.

Now, I am a quarter life guide and dharma coach, which means I focus on looking at an individual’s birth chart, using it to guide each person back to their innate selves and help them unlock their unique truths, purpose and gifts.

FOLLOW KARISHMA ON INSTAGRAM
@KALIPANI

2. We heard that you travelled to Indonesia recently to volunteer, could you explain a bit about what you did out there? (How long were you there, what did you do/experience, etc)

In early 2018, I was facing some personal struggles and a lack of motivation in my job working as a digital marketing manager at a hotel chain. It was a very corporate, desk job and I was feeling misaligned with the direction my career was taking. I wanted to find a way to reignite my passion for hospitality, and when I learned about the Sumba Hospitality Foundation, I felt a surge of inspiration. I looked at the opportunity to volunteer there as something that would create some personal development strides for myself, and as something that would hopefully impact the Foundation and the students there.

Sumba Hospitality Foundation aims to create impact on this remote island in Eastern Indonesia (about an hours flight from Bali) through a number of different projects - the first being a school that provides vocational education in hospitality to high school graduates with underprivileged social and economic backgrounds. The Hotel School provides classes in Front Office Management, Housekeeping, Spa and Wellness, Restaurant and Bar Service, and Culinary skills; as well as English, environmental awareness, permaculture farming and personal development.

In order to support the Foundation and provide hands-on training experiences for the students, the campus also includes a 9 villa hotel, restaurants, a spa and a farm which are all open to visitors and tourists to Sumba. Finally, at the end of the year-long training on campus in Sumba, the students are provided with 6 month internships at prestigious hotels in Bali or Sumba which allows them to launch their individual careers in the Hospitality industry.

I was in Sumba for 4 months in mid-2018 and was a general volunteer for the school and Foundation, which means I did a little bit of everything and got involved in multiple projects such as teaching classes, setting up Standard Operating Procedures for the hotel and creating a multi-faceted marketing strategy for the Foundation; which touched on the school, the local community outreach and cultivating sustainable tourism and environmental awareness on Sumba Island. On a personal level, I connected and formed bonds with so many of the locals, especially the Culinary students as I ran a few baking workshops for them based on my own experience being certified in The Wilton School of Cake Decorating. Some of the students and I even organised a Bollywood night where we cooked Indian food, danced to Hindi music and watched the first Dhoom movie!

I stayed on for the graduation of the students in the 2018 class, and then flew with them to Bali to help many of the students settle into their internships and accommodations, where a few students were placed in each of Bali’s regions like Uluwatu, Nusa Dua and Seminyak. It was so fulfilling and emotional to see the students move onto this next stage of their lives and careers; it made the whole experience full circle; from teaching classes and seeing the students grow and learn to then watch them graduate and being hospitality professionals. I’m still in touch with some of the students even after all this time, and they are so close to my heart - I couldn’t be prouder of all that they have achieved since graduating from SHF!

3. Being based in Singapore, was there any culture shock going to a remote island? Were there any cultural differences?

I would say that most people do experience some culture shock when visiting Sumba (and very few people do actually know about this remote island and have been there!), because the culture, traditions and way of life are so unique. The locals respect a tribal and traditional belief system known as Marapu, and this pervades through in the style of their homes and villages, where the higher the roof of one's home, the closer one is to the spirits, ancestors, and gods. The Sumbanese people live in harmony and connection with nature, and consider horses to be their spirit guides, symbolising strength and helping the men in the village with transportation and hunting trips in the forest.

At times, I would visit the family houses of some of my students and while I was grateful for the hospitality and warmth of the people, I was awkward with some of the exchanges. For example, Locals first welcome guests with Betelnut (symbolising the heart) to keep one safe, happy, and comfortable in their house, and then after, ginger coffee is offered as a welcome drink - these are both tastes that I did not enjoy but it was too difficult to turn down! But overall, I would say that I adapted quickly and only grew personally from all the cultural experiences I had in my time on the island.

4. More people are wanting to get into volunteering in different parts of the world, how did you come across this opportunity?

I had actually heard of the Sumba Hospitality Foundation through some peers I met at a hospitality networking event in 2017. At the time, the campus was still in development and the school hadn’t opened. Once I reached my career crossroads in early 2018, SHF came back to my mind and I knew I had to embark on the journey and volunteer there.

5. What do you recommend for people that are interested in volunteering for opportunities like the one you had?

My biggest advice for people who are looking for volunteering opportunities is to make sure that the places and organisations you go to align with your interests and your skill-set. Of course, there are lots of general volunteering opportunities available out in the World but I would personally always look at skill-based volunteering; which is the best way you can make sure that you are making a positive impact in your own life and for the organisation that you will be at.

6. How did this opportunity impact your life?

I always feel that travelling to new places and exploring new cultures is so rewarding and humbling, and my experience in Sumba was no different. I connected with so many kind, caring, hard-working and beautiful people; I learned a lot about sustainable and responsible tourism; and I was truly able to reignite my passion for hospitality. But in fact, the most profound thing to come about my whole adventure was a renewed sense of self.

I just the opportunity to spend so much time alone without too many distractions (the beaches were always EMPTY!), and to recover from my career burnout and personal struggles. I really believe that the time and space away initiated the journey that I am on today as a life coach and guide to my peers who may be at a similar crossroads as I was back then.

7. Any future travel plans once the pandemic is over?

I’m so excited to start traveling and expanding my horizons again! There’s so many places I want to go to again, I can’t decide on where to start! It could be that I go to Bali for the beautiful sunsets and delicious food; Paris for the shopping and scenery; or maybe even Las Vegas for some crazy fun times!