German to run from Tip of Borneo to Pontianak
KOTA KINABALU: A 28-yearold German will be running over 1,700 kilometers from the tip of Borneo to Pontianak starting at the end of this week.
Andreas Bussinger who hails from Numberg, Germany told reporters that he would be spending 60 days to complete the trip.
“I would run about 25 kilometers daily to ensure I get to complete the long-distance run,” he said.
His aim is to help raise awareness on various issues such as the plight of village folks who are without electricity in Sabah and Sarawak, and the plight of the Orang Asli people in Peninsular Malaysia.
Additionally, he also hoped to raise funds to help projects such as the Lightup Borneo, which helps set up mini hydro which generates electricity at remote places in Sabah and Sarawak as well as some parts in Peninsular Malaysia.
The Lightup Borneo is a local non-government organization which received volunteers not just from Sabah but also foreigners to help them with their work. So far, the NGO has already installed 25 micro hydros.
Andreas, who is here on holiday with his wife, Kim Min Jong and their two toddlers, said that they had been travelling on their camper vehicle for the last two years.
They started their journey in Germany and have since travelled to 25 countries before arriving in West Malaysia a few months ago.
Among the countries they went to using their camper were Russia, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
After Borneo, Andreas and his family will be travelling to Indonesia before heading back to Germany.
“After two years of absence, I think my mother misses me. So, I am going back to visit her,” he said.
Andreas said that he found Sabah a very livable place, and enjoyed his stay here.
“We have travelled throughout Sabah on our camper,” he said.
He also shared that the experience they had garnered travelling to different countries on their camper had been very rewarding.
“I find that people everywhere are nice and are willing to help,” he said.
He added that prior to leaving his job as a civil engineer and going on the trip, he also found himself being nervous.
“But we’ve met good people everywhere in the world,” he said.