Program Reviews

Highlights of the trip:

Home stay – It was terrific! Our family were very welcoming and catered a lot to our needs during our stay there. We had an amazing start of the trip with them briefing us through some historical, cultural, social, political and economic situation in Fiji. It was very important for us as first-time foreigners visiting Fiji. The house was cozy and we definitely felt at home during our stay.

Volunteering – It has been a great pleasure to be able to do this voluntary service with our self-designed activities that suit the need of the students at the school. We really loved how IVI and the school, where we volunteered at, had given us so much autonomy to create our own activities and with the way we carried out our service. It’s definitely something we had not experience elsewhere and with other NGOs we’ve worked with.

Comments on the team, food and accommodation:

The food was great and helped us understand more about the local eating habits and lifestyle. The accommodation was cozy and comfortable. The only thing was that when the weather got cooler and no sun, there was no warm water; but otherwise, everything was great. We really appreciate the team’s effort and prompt reply to our questions and it had been very helpful for us to complete our volunteer project.

The kids I taught, whom I will never forget. Originally I was meant to just be in the Kindergarden but ended up also teaching english in the high school in the afternoon. And spending time with local Indonesian people.

Comments on the team, food and accommodation:
We were a small team of volunteers (4) and that felt like being part of a team. The coordinators were amazing and very accommodating. The food was good, specially when the coordinators cooked since they were great cooks. The accommodation was great, I only had to share a room and bathroom with one other person.

Any improvements to help us be better:
I was not informed about the orientation week (it was just mention as a possibility in one of the information packages) which not only was required as very useful. This means that I only taught one week and I would have stayed longer if I knew this in advance.

Spending time with my host family, getting to know the staff outside of volunteering, and working with the children at the school site.

Comments on the team, food and accommodation:

Everything went well. Everyone was eager to make me feel welcome and to assist in any needs as they developed.

Any improvements to help us be better:

I was volunteering for a limited time, but it would have been nice meeting other volunteers. Suggestions for sightseeing, travel arrangements, etc would also be beneficial.

The special needs school would benefit from continued speech therapy support. If there is a way that I can be a resource in advertising such need(s), etc, I would be open to providing assistance.

Jennifer Holcombe,

The cultural experience and being able to live with locals and having the opportunity to experience the local life style. I also really enjoyed my teaching project. My highlight was teaching my grade 6 class and being able to notice an improvement in their English during my 2 weeks. This really made me happy to see that I have made a difference.

The coordinators at were very friendly and always helpful if I needed help with something. Some of the coordinators’ English wasn’t that good but communicating with them was still no issue. The food was mostly at high standards. I enjoy Indonesian food so this was no problem for me, I only would have liked more choice for breakfast. The accommodation was overall good, the bedroom was cleaned regularly and the bathroom was in good condition.

Overall my whole experience was always reaching my expectations and I would not have changed anything.

I hope this helps, I would again like to say that this was an amazing and mind-opening experience. I have learnt a lot from the locals, fellow volunteers and also the kids that I was teaching. I will never forget this and I am looking forward to volunteering again, perhaps in a different country next time.

The hospital was great I learnt so much from Dr Shanta he was an amazing mentor.

Earthquake rebuilding was definitely my favourite week, it was so authentic and I felt that I was making a real difference there. The host mother was beautiful and fed us very well. It was nice to get involved with the locals more than I did in Kathmandu as well.

Doing the extra activities including the HealthOutReach program was really good as well because I could see there had been a lack of education around basic hygiene, nutrition and first aid so I think it was really beneficial to the schools that we went to to teach them this. And I hope that they will talk with others in the community about what they learnt so that it can spread and do greater good.

The hosts were fantastic, all the staff were friendly, efficient and ready to do absolutely anything to help us. The food was great and so was the accommodation, it was located in a good spot and I felt safe at all times.

Honestly I think IVI have been amazing, both in Nepal and before we left. I have no complaints and will definitely be recommending IVI (and possibly coming back again!)
Thank-you
Jessie

My time on the remote island teaching project was one of the best weeks of my life, ever ……. it was hard, hot, uncomfortable and a bit challenging at times but incredibly rewarding. What an amazing school. We have come back with a very long list of very much needed items, so if you feel compelled to help out after seeing these photos please PM me!

It’s hard to believe that 24 hours ago my only footwear was a pair of jandals (thongs/flip flops, flippers) covered in biddy bids and held together by a peg (first day one of the kids stood on the back of it), and today I was wearing black high heeled boots and corporate attire in Sydney! What an incredible, wonderful world we live in!

I honestly could never have imagined how humbling and heart warming my Fiji experience would have been! I have never met a more welcoming and friendly community in my life. Fiji and the orphanage taught me so much and Masi and Mila are amazing!

Fiji you have my heart forever! Thank you so much for all your help I will 100% going back! And I have recommended you to so many friends! And thank you Fiji and the orphanage for teaching me so much about myself and hopefully they gained something from me too 🙂

There’s nothing more fulfilling then seeing how happy them children are and how the generosity of other help keep them that way 🙂

Thanks again Lauren and IVI!

Kind regards,
Lucy

As my term in Fiji came to a close, I couldn’t help but stop to reflect on a few things…

SavusavuFijiPalmTree

For those who didn’t know, the primary purpose of my trip to Fiji was to assist those affected by Cyclone Winston devastation. I’d known for a while I wanted to return to Fiji after having the opportunity to visit last year, but hearing the news about Cyclone Winston back in February ultimately confirmed my decision.

My secondary reason for coming to Fiji was to escape the toxicity of my old life at home (I really don’t want to into it again, but I wrote a blog post kind of explaining the situation a while ago…).

Generally speaking, I was very unhappy and knew I needed to get away. My heart also ached for the people of Fiji, who had been so wonderful to me throughout my previous stay. I badly wanted to help, and shift my focus towards the needs of others, as my overall perspective on life was in serious need of a reality check – more or less, years upon years of perpetually ruminating on my “first-world problems” had turned me into a person I did not like very much.

Now that my volunteering program has ended, I find myself nine weeks later, with a dizzying array of thoughts running through my head – foremost, did I actually help?

Sarah, a friend and fellow volunteer I met during my experience in Fiji, recently wrote a fantastic blog post on her website, Enrichmentality (please go check it out!), discussing questions all volunteers really should ask themselves, prior to and during their service.

How can I help? Why I am I doing this? Am I really helping?

In truth, my past two months involved a variety of situations – from enriching, memorable, and deeply moving to just plain unpleasant. I’ll admit, there were moments I weeped for the pleasant chill of an air conditioner, consistent internet access, hot showers, and many other mundane first-world luxuries I’d taken for granted. There were numerous occasions I had to question my own integrity; times I had to let go of all conceit and give selflessly; other times I had to walk away from a despairing circumstance, escorted by the pain realising there was nothing I could do.

Did I help? Am I at all a better person than I was nine weeks ago?

Did I develop more contempt for the ants scurrying across the table than integrity for others, simply based on my longing for the world I came from?

I like to think my head’s in a significantly healthier place now than it was before travelling here, but this experience wasn’t entirely about me.

Elisabeth Rollins (USA)

I wanted to say a big thank you to you both for all the organizing you did to ensure that I enjoyed my time volunteering in Fiji.

Sadly I’ve been back at work this week and it really makes you miss living so relaxed on Fiji time. Melbourne’s weather is definitely no match as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the island school and this is thanks to in particular my beautiful host family, but also the wonderful, hard working teachers at the school and the entire village community there.

Once again thank you to you both for all the work you did in making me feel comfortable and supported if there was ever anything I needed. There wasn’t one volunteer that I met that wasn’t enjoying their time on the Island, so it’s a real testament to the great program that you are running. I hope I am able to make a return in the near future.

Kind regards,
Narelle – Australia

I had an amazing experience in Fiji!

Highlights:

-living with my host family, it was an amazing experience

-the island!, it was such a cool experience and the views were amazing

-being able to make a difference in the village

Team,food, accomodation:

-as for the team who helped me through the application process, they were amazing, and really helpful with answering all my questions. The welcome pack was really thorough and helpful.

-the team in Fiji was excellent too being more than helpful with any purchases I needed to make and taking me different places.

-The food never stopped! And I’m not complaigning! It was really cool eating what they eat so I was really happy with the food.

-as for accomodation it was exactly as i expected from the welcome pack so it was great, I knew it wasn’t going to be 5 star going in haha but that’s all part of the experience so I loved it.

My host family and his family were very accomodating and kind.

Thanks heaps for your program, I really enjoyed that it actually helped the people unlike some other organisations.

Kind regards,

Jayden