Resort, a boon to villagers

The usual sights for villagers

The Mari Mari Resort is sited by a long stretch of beach on Sepanggar Island; an island located off Kota Kinabalu. The island can be seen from the city centre and from Likas Bay.

There is a small village there, where some 300 people reside. The people there are mostly descended from seafarers and traditionally they are fishermen.

One of the houses

They have settled on the island many years ago, building their homes on a nice shore with shady trees along it. There is a school there now and the community thrives on what they can from the sea and shore as well as mangroves.

However, the younger generations are yearning for more and better source of income, as the sea is not always friendly and magnanimous.

Therefore the presence of the resort at the island is a godsend to the islanders as they can get employment with the resort in its various departments. The public area, kitchen and housekeeping are areas where the people there can work in as they can go on the job training.

Siti Norijah hj Salleh, one of the housekeeping staff said she is very happy to be employed by the resort as it has allowed them to go forward in self-development. This is the place where she can meet people from all over the world, opening her mind to other people’s cultural norms.

Norijah (left) and Noridah

On the economic level, she said it is also a great change to work in the resort as she can earn a livelihood. According to her, in the past they depended on the sea for their livelihood.

"It was tough as we had to scour the sea for our food," she said, adding that if they want to keep food, they had to reheat the cooked fish and shells or mud creepers everyday. Without a fridge, everything had to be consumed at once or reheated everyday.

The little they can sell would not bring them much relief but they had to make do at that time. They also had to use firewood for their kitchen, which was easy due to the abundance of driftwood.

"However we also want to enjoy modern amenities like our village counterparts all over the State."

With money garnered from their job in the resort, they manage to supplement their household income and buy necessary items. This includes generators for electricity and modern cooking utensils.

There are 25 villagers employed with the resort,  five of them in their 20s. 

Lijah massaging a guest's leg

"Some of our youth go to the city to work in any kind of jobs. It is difficult for them as they have to rent a place to stay in the city.  So I believe we are lucky to get jobs in the resort,” she shared.

Her colleague Noridah Majok who is also in her 40s echoed her adding that the establishment of the resort helped them in many ways.

She hoped the resort will keep on prospering and expand to allow more employment for the villagers.

Lijah Sala, 21, is a masseur who has been with the resort for four months.

She is a traditional masseur who learnt the skill from her parents and grandparents. She is very thorough in her massage skills having serviced people who are three to four times her size.

This diminutive girl shared that her husband is jobless and the job was a boon to her, being the sole income earner.

"I am very fortunate to inherit these skills from my parents and grandparents as it can help me to earn an income. I am also grateful for this job," she said.

Many of her relatives including her brother, grandmother and aunt as well as her mother are also working with the resort.

Villager's livestock

On the future, she hoped the resort will prosper for many years to come and expand so that more villagers will have employment at the island, She also hoped to acquire advance skills in massage therapy to ensure a bright future in the industry.

These people who work at the back of the house are the ones who ensure that guests and visitors enjoy good services and good food They should always be acknowledged for their efforts.-pw/MSN