Local Community & Sustainable Tourism

Locals

Macaronis Resort is dedicated to the enhancement and support of the local communities and environment. One of the major issues facing Indonesia is poverty, which is spread across its many islands. The existence of remote island resorts, like Macaronis, are able to offer these communities an enormous amount of support.

The nearest village, Silabu Village, is a Christian Protestant community with approximately 400 indigenous inhabitants located approximately 20km from Sikakap, only connected by walking track that can also be crossed on a motor bike taking about 1.5 hours. The village is mainly traditional due to its remote location. The only reason the villagers have had any contact with the outside world is through Christian missionaries that converted them to Christianity in the early 1900′s, and more recently due to the Mentawai waves and their popularity among visiting surfers.

Local Village Support

In 2004, as a starting initiative, Macaronis Resort agreed to donate $1.50/guest/night toward Silabu Village Community projects, amounting to approximately $300 donation per week when the resort was fully booked.

Macaronis Resort also contributed approximately $5,000 toward completion of Silabu Church in year 2004, $2,000 for purchase of a new generator for the village in year 2005, and a further $4,000 was used to provide electricity to each village home in 2006 (providing lighting and a power point to each family home). In addition, Macaronis Resort funded the survey and partial construction of a road from the local village to the resort.

These are just some of the earlier projects undertaken in our infancy years to assist the local community, apart from regular contributions toward Christian and Youth groups, and providing regular donations to the local school. Apart from the financial support we’ve provided, it has been primarily the resort development and day to day work opportunities from the operation, either at the resort or supplying it, that have given the most positive impact upon the local community.

In 2011, Macaronis Resort contributed a further $15,000 to Tumalea Village (Northern Village in Silabu nearby BatCave) from donations received after the October 2010 tsunami. Click Here to View Donation Breakdown, Project Photos & Details.

News & Updates

Silabu Village Primary School Toilets

In year 2012 Macaronis Resort launched a project to provide Silabu Village Primary School with a new toilet block, also renovating the village medical center. This project was supported by W Y Hubert Foundation who donated USD $5000, our guest Ted Scarrett who donated USD $500, Rip Curl donating Rp.30.000.000, and Surfing Doctors donating Rp.30.000.000 with funds raised from a free trip to Macaronis Resort raffled off at Margaret River and Bells Beach surfing competitions.

 

The Pagai Foundation

Because Macaronis Resort has made these financial contributions over the years which have also been subject to income tax, despite the money going toward humanitarian programs, it was decided in 2015 to launch the Pagai Foundation registered in Indonesia so donations could be tax-deductible.

The main contribution in recent years has been the recruitment of surfing doctors for periods of 3-6 weeks offering weekly clinics to villages while also assisting guests that may need medical attention. Macaronis Resort has built accommodation and a medical clinic to support this initiative hosting surfing doctors at highly discounted rates in return.

The Pagai Foundation plans to develop environmental and community development projects as well. So far, the foundation has been an ongoing cost to Macaronis Resort, but in the future, it is envisaged that projects will be displayed on this page or an independent website for supporters to make donations by bank transfer or using Visa or Mastercard using a payment gateway.

If you have any ideas you would like to propose, then please feel welcome to get in touch!

If you’d like to make a donation to support the Pagai Foundation, this can currently be done by making a bank transfer to the Pagai Foundation bank account in Sikakap, North Pagai Island. Please email [email protected] to request more information and bank details to ensure your donation is received and a receipt is provided.

Here are a few more memories of some of the projects we’ve been involved in over the years… more to come!!