Melissa Alut Lim

Melissa Alut Lim is the founder of Rustic Borneo Craft, a Sabahan social enterprise rooted in the Borneo rainforest. A born-and-bred Sino-Kadazan and “Green Badge” licensed nature guide, she began by connecting eco-travellers with Sabah’s landscapes and indigenous communities before channeling that experience into building a platform that empowers them directly.

Rustic Borneo Craft focuses on indigenous communities, particularly B40 women and persons with disabilities (OKU), using business as a way to preserve culture while creating dignified livelihoods.
Through Rustic Borneo Craft, Melissa develops and exports eco-friendly products such as handmade soaps, herbal-infused massage oils, lemongrass insect repellent and hotel amenities made from locally sourced rainforest ingredients. The enterprise builds a supply chain that allows rural artisans and producers to remain in their villages while their products reach customers around the world, turning Sabah’s biodiversity into sustainable income rather than extractive profit.

“My mission is to deliver the wonderful nature of Borneo to the other parts of the world while connecting the indigenous community of Borneo by imparting skills and know-how transfer, with the objective to eliminate poverty and encourage sustainable living and preservation of cultural diversity.”