One of the best experiences of my life

Bula,
Putting into words my experience in Fiji as a Think Pacific volunteer has not been easy. No words seem to be able to explain what is it like living in such a different but amazingly welcoming and loving community and even photographs don’t seem do it justice.
Upon entering Nalemalema village, which was to be my home for the next 4 weeks, I was greeted by the welcoming smiles of the villagers and any fears that I had seemed to disappear. They are genuinely so happy to see you and for you to learn how they live their lives in such a different environment to which we have become accustomed too. Meeting my Fijian Mum (“Nene”) and Fijian family is something that I will never forget and was blown away with their hospitality and willingness to welcome me, a complete stranger, into their house and family. Since returning home my friends seem to find it strange when I refer to them as my family or say my Fijian mum or brothers but that is genuinely what they become to you in such a relatively short period of time.
Fijian village life is unrecognisable compared to life in the UK. However, I seemed to settle into it very quickly and for me, someone who struggles to adjust to a week’s all-inclusive holiday in Spain, I have genuinely have never felt so comfortable in a place like Nalemalema Village. This stems from the support of not only your project leaders but also your fellow volunteers, family, villagers and teachers who are around you daily. Having said this, however I can understand why others may have struggled to initially adapt to village life as it is so very different to what we are used to. The food, living conditions, pace of life, lack of privacy and constantly being surrounded by children wanting your undivided attention are admittedly challenges but this is what makes Fijian culture so unique and amazing.
One thing I didn’t anticipate before going to Fiji is how much a volunteer affects the entire village and not just the families who you are living with. You leave knowing everyone in the village and greeting them with a hearty “Bula”, whether that is from school, your family, the other volunteers, the sporting teams or just from social events in the village whilst you’re on project. Obviously, school is one of the key areas where volunteers can make a hugely beneficial impact on these incredible children but also just having TP volunteers in the village working with not only the children but other villagers definitely makes a lasting impact which you can see developing throughout your time on project. Tooth Brush time in Kidi is a particular highlight for me and nothing will ever prepare you for the ‘controlled’ mayhem of 20 four to five year olds running around with bottles of water, frothing at the mouth and showing all their other kindi friends how far they can spit the water, turning it into some sort of competitive sport (Can’t see it Olympics any time soon though). All of this going on whilst singing at the top of your voice “This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth…”. ABSOLUTELY CRAZY!

A slightly different highlight whilst on project is building of relationships and development of the children who may tend to struggling a little whether that is at school (English and maths), during sports or just generally needing an extra boost of confidence. There was a little boy who I met on the first day of project who lacked confidence and was seen by the school as a child who was struggling. Through working with him on his English and maths as well as through sport I witnessed a monumental change in his confidence and consequently his education in the month that we were with him. He visibly started enjoying going to school and got himself more involve in extracurricular activities due to an increase confidence in his own ability. Seeing this as a volunteer was so rewarding and humbling and really gives you a much-needed boost on those days where you weren’t seeming to make much progress with other children.

As you can probably tell, my experience of Fiji and life as a Think Pacific volunteer is one where I can honestly say I loved every minute of it and there is nothing that I would change if I was to do it again. I seemed to have lived in the smallest house in the entire village but again, would not have changed this experience as my family were amazing and on my final day my Fijian Mum said to me “…we may have the smallest house in the village with no electricity or running water but we have the biggest hearts in the village”. Those words meant a lot to me and it was completely true what they said…they were so welcoming and would have done anything for myself and the other volunteers.
The one thing that I will always remember from Fiji is their welcome and how proud they are to be Fijians. I believe they are the kindest and most patriarchal people in the world. As soon as you leave the plane at Nadi, you will be greeted by “Bula” from everyone. No matter how busy they are, they will still take time to acknowledge you. Whilst in the village, I can remember having a wash in the morning next to the community hall and no less than 20 people, most of whom I had never even seen before, greeted me and asked how I was doing. This is very normal in Fiji!
Experiencing all the children in school singing “Blessing Grant”, the Fijian national anthem is also something that I will always remember due to their passion and pride of being from Fiji. To hear their national anthem being sang at the top of their voices, echoing around the village brought tears to my eyes and even now gives me goose bumps.
I know it sounds very cliché, but my experience in Fiji with Think Pacific has actually made me think very differently. Living for a month in a village with so little initially sounds like huge challenge but it’s amazing how quickly you settle into it. You don’t need a phone, TV or even electricity to entertain yourself and seeing how children can have so much fun with only a deck of cards or bouncy ball is really humbling and refreshing to experience. I now see Fiji as a second home and look back on my experience as one of the best times of my life. My family, the children, the other volunteers and the villagers all made it into such a unique and once in a lifetime experience (and I haven’t even mentioned the Rugby!). This will definitely not be my last trip to Fiji and already planning to return in the very near future. Remember you’ll always regret what you didn’t do rather than what you did, so get in touch with Think Pacific and see what amazing opportunities they could offer you.
Vinaka,

Tyler Holmes