When you stay at Sumba Hospitality Foundation, you're more than just a hotel guest because you're empowering local Sumbanese youth. We'd love to hear from you - would you consider staying at a hotel school for your next getaway?
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Meet Jeffry, your friendly host on the beautiful island of Sumba. Located near Bali, Indonesia, Sumba’s stunning coastline and lush greenery makes it an appealing attraction for travellers looking for a more rustic experience.
Although the island is being developed as a major destination, natives are mainly farmers, and have little opportunity to reap these economic benefits without viable skills.
Sumba Hospitality Foundation has a strong vision for responsible tourism in the region.
It welcomes visitors to stay at their on-campus hotel school which includes five beautiful, bamboo guest pavilions tended to by students. All proceeds help fund the school’s programme.
During their stay, visitors are encouraged to interact with the students to learn more about Sumba, or share any experiences that will be of value to the students.
The school aims to set itself as an example for sustainable tourism on the island and beyond. It is powered entirely by solar energy.
The foundation offers promising Sumbanese youth like Jeffry, scholarships to be trained at the Sumba Hotel School for future employment in the hospitality industry.
Only 40 students from all over Sumba are hand-picked every year to attend the immersive one-year programme, where they are mentored by industry professionals.
The programme is targeted at underprivileged high school graduates who would otherwise not have the opportunity to pursue higher education opportunities.
Students don’t only acquire vocational skills, they also learn English, personal development, and permaculture farming, so that they can share with their communities back home.
Issues of malnutrition in children and youth are prevalent in Sumba, and acceptance to the school comes with full boarding, meals, and healthcare.
To inspire other communities with the foundation’s model, its founder, Inge De Lathauwer, boldly chose to kickstart this project in the least resourced region of Sumba.
The students each have personal ambitions they’re working towards.
Jeffry dreams that “one day I can build a decent house for my parents to stay in their old age.”
The Sumba Hospitality Foundation offers him a significant step forward.
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Learn more about Sumba Hospitality Foundation: [ Ссылка ]
Reserve a stay in a guest pavilion: [ Ссылка ]
Read the full story: [ Ссылка ]
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Director: Juliana Tan
Producer & Photographer: Grace Baey
Executive Producer: Denise Oliveiro
Director of Photography: Shyan Tan
Art Directors: Joyce Li & Chen Weiyan
Video Editor: Huiying Yueh
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Our Better World - Telling Stories. Inspiring Action.
We tell stories of people doing good in Asia to inspire global action.
We connect storytellers, the people doing good and the ones who’d love to help but don’t know how.
We strive to build an engaged global community sharing skills, resources, time and effort, empowering every person with the conviction that each has the power to make the world better.
Our Better World is a digital storytelling initiative of the Singapore International Foundation.
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