The Bukit Lawang Trust was founded in response to a flash flood in 2003. The flood destroyed much of Bukit Lawang and killed more than 240 people, leaving approximately 1400 people without a home.
Founder and Trustee Rebecca Coley had visited the village a couple of months before the flood and decided to take action to help those she had met on her travels. Rebecca set about raising funds and went back with her family to provide basic aid to those affected. Initially, the Trust took the form of a medical clinic serving those who were suffering as a direct result of the disaster.