Think Pacific

Program Reviews

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William
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Virtual Internship for Cure Kids Fiji

The experience I had writing a report for Cure Kids Fiji on behalf of Think Pacific was fantastic. It offered me a chance to put my skills acquired at university to practical to use in a developing nation, something that is hopefully both impactful for Cure Kids, and vital experience for myself. Not only was the report writing experience fantastic professional development, but the resources on offer from Think Pacific helped me to learn more about Fiji and its culture, and I can’t wait to go to Fiji next summer!

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Grace
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A meaningful experience

My time with Think Pacific was truly inspiring! I competed the 8-week programme, in which I had the opportunity to learn, develop and apply knowledge and understanding. The emphasis that Think Pacific places on learning is something that I highly admire. After completing my internship, I understand
the ways in which I have impacted Fijian organisations. Being creative was another great aspect. From culture modules, to sustainable development, the content provided allowed me to come away from the experience having learnt something. My action project was my interest and would take me forward in Postgraduate study.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Say YES! Go outside your comfort zone and embrace it.
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Eleanor
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Conservation efforts from afar

My experience with TP was nothing short of amazing! I'm so grateful for the team in being so hands on and interactive in their approach. We learnt about such a broad range of topics on Fijian culture, health and environment despite my specific focus on conservation with Nature Fiji. I worked on creating a prospectus for this NGO over the 2020-2024 timeframe. I analyzed national goals, studies and reports and suggested specific aims and objectives that Nature Fiji might consider. Honestly, this program is the next best thing to actually traveling to Fiji. I was able to give my time and experience in an entirely new way, one I don't think would have been quite so easily achievable if I had been caught up in the novelty of travel rather than the work of the internship. I'm so grateful for the opportunity and 100% will sing its praise forever!

What would you improve about this program?
I'd love to see this program be more interactive with fellow interns. Starting out we collaborated and connected, but as we went on the different groups (either four or eight week interns) tended to work at different paces so became more difficult to relate and discuss. Connecting with our peers would really make this program perfection!!
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Rebecca
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Virtual internship experience

I recently completed the virtual internship with think Pacific. It was an amazing experience that has helped me gain confidence and has also provided me with valuable experience that will hopefully benefit me in getting a job in the field of mental health in the future. By doing this internship I have gained the skills of self motivation, something I struggled with at the start of summer when lockdown started. The mentors are so helpful and will do anything they can to provide guidance and advice when needed. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
The part of the internship that was the most nerve racking was presenting my work. Although it was just a recording that was sent off it is still a bizarre situation to find yourself in and I found that I was really nervous about this aspect of the internship. However, when I finally got around to completing the recording it was no where near as scary as I had built up in my mind over the course of the 8 weeks.
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Nicola
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Absolutely amazing experience

An absolutely amazing virtual experience and has definitely inspired me to take part in further charity work and tie hopefully travel to Fiji next year with Think Pacific!!! Working with my NGO partner, Watika Bee Farm, to produce funding proposals and research possible funding avenues was a great learning experience. The mentors and feedback given helped me to develop both my professional and personal skills. Presenting all my work at the end was a real accomplishment and to say that I have worked for someone on the other side of the world is amazing!!!

What was your funniest moment?
Learning a traditional meke TocTok dance was very funny and a truly unique experience
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Abigail
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Virtual Internship Review 2020

I loved this programme! In comparison to other similar programs this internship was cheaper but also very transparent about where the fee is spent and for a worthwhile cause. The action projects we could work on were all so interesting and diverse that I struggled choosing just one to focus on. There were so many activities to get involved with that there was always something to do and everything was clearly organised. Overall I would definitely recommend this internship, I learnt so much and had an amazing experience. Thank you TP!

What would you improve about this program?
Having to scroll back through the Facebook posts to find things got difficult later on in the programme so it would have been helpful to have a collection of recordings etc. on a webpage somewhere for easier access. Also because there was only myself and one other intern working on the turmeric action project I struggled to connect with others on the programme (a lot of the group chats set up didn’t get used and events planned didn’t always happen).
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Eleanor
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fantastic experience!

I participated in the 8 week programme which I found gave me lots of flexibility. The learning modules at the start focused on all things Fiji and it was great to delve into the culture and lifestyle of Fiji and I felt it really helped give me an understanding of the place, despite having never been there followed by modules which really introduced me to the idea of sports development and how the most effective programmes ar implemented! The support available through the QandA sessions and especially through my personal mentor was great and really helped me get the most out of the programme! Overall, a really valuable experience where I learnt lots and feel like I developed a range of skills and it felt great to be working on real-world project which had been asked for by the partner organisation!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The range of action projects available - there were so many to choose from and from so many different focus areas!
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Abi
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Think Pacific Virtual Internship

My experience of the Think Pacific virtual internship was great; I was able to learn about the history and culture of Fiji as well as being able to take control in an action project with Precious Plastic Fiji.

The resources provided by Think Pacific were amazing; there was zoom links to talk about the week ahead and to connect with fellow interns, an alumni series where we could talk to alumni of Think Pacific and get ideas from them.

My mentor - Cam - was a great help in guiding me through the internship and offering advice and ideas where I needed it during my action project.

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Olivia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An invaluable experience for life and for your future career!

During a time where opportunities to network, learn about a new culture, learn valuable and transferable skills are limited (due to Covid-19) this virtual internship provides an opportunity for all of these things and more! I enjoyed every aspect, particularly all the learning involved about Fijian culture, history, their National Development Plan, the SDGs and their education system! The connections I have made through this Internship will allow me to keep updated with everything Sustainable Development related in both Fiji and the UK!

What would you improve about this program?
I’d improve very little about this program, and seeing as I was part of the first set of Interns, this is a very impressive statement. However, I feel the Facebook page could be made easier to navigate around to find key content and new links.
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Anna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Virtual Internship with Think Pacific

My virtual internship with Think Pacific has given me a wider view of the world around me, and it has been a beneficial experience to have during the Summer of 2020. I am really passionate about the environment and ecology, so learning about environmental issues and concerns in Fiji has been really interesting. I have found it rewarding to produce a strategy document and prospectus for Nature Fiji, a major NGO in Fiji who work towards a sustainable future. Hopefully the work I have done will go towards them securing funding for future projects to achieve their vision of a Fiji where diversity of species and habitats are sustained for future generations and empower the local communities to care for and live in harmony with their natural heritage.