GVI, Ethical Impact: Volunteer in Fiji

My time in Silana, Fiji with GVI was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. Firstly, despite the preschool having just been closed for Summer, GVI staff on the ground made it possible for me to still volunteer in the local primary school. Spending every day with the children in Silana was eye-opening; they are some of the most positive, happy people I have met. Everyone in the village was unbelievably welcoming and I have never felt so at home somewhere so far away from my real home.

I loved how integrated GVI staff and volunteers were in the village, and the numerous opportunities every day to partake in village activities. GVI staff in Fiji helped me to feel safe and welcome throughout my time in Silana. Pick up from the airport and on start date was well organised. I really hope I can return to Silana one day.

GVI does a fantastic job of being a positive and supportive environment. My time in Fiji exposed me to the authentic life of the Fijians living in the Silana village we had so many opportunities to engage with the community during the program and in our free time. I love how integrated the GVI base is with the Silana village, this made my time extremely culturally educational. The team is filled with like-minded individuals from all over the world keen to travel and leave an impact. I couldn't recommend GVI and the Fiji programs anymore!!

Firstly my first GVI experience was fun and I got a lot out of it, however my second experience was unbelievably bad and I will never use or recommend this organisation to anyone.
I booked a 2 month marine conservation programme last year and things were fine until our webinar where I realised I didn't receive an email from GVI with the necessary visa documents. I had to request they send me this email, which had been sent to everyone else months ago. When I got the documents I realised why it was sent out so early, the visa application was for a business visa and was very involved, it included a police check and a thorough medical, my CV, work history, etc. It was a week before Christmas when I received this email and I was flying out to my programme the first week of January.
I was told it was fine by the GVI support officer and I can get it all done in a week, this was not possible at all. There was absolutely no way to get this done beforehand and I received very little support from my support officer (probably because it was a week before Christmas). I called the embassy to see if I could get some help there and they assured me I would only need a tourist visa (I did outline exactly what I would be doing there). Two days before I flew out I was told by the support officer that I couldn't do the programme if I didn't have the business visa and the embassy was wrong. I decided this was more trouble than it was worth so I wanted out and asked for a refund. Was told I wasn't eligible for a refund as I didn't buy the $500 cancellation waiver at booking so I couldn't get my $10,000 for the programme back.
I wasn't going to just let $10,000 go so I flew out to the programme and tried to make the best of it and get my business visa (for a volunteer programme) in country. While there I received no help in getting my visa. I had to make my own way to Suva from the village (3 hour bus ride) and organise/pay for transport, medical, application, and accommodation.
I left after 1 month when I had completed my PADI Advanced Open Water course. I left for personal reasons as well as being unsatisfied with the programme/organisation. Now that I had left I thought I could put the whole mess behind me and enjoy my new diving qualifications. I waited a month for my diving card to arrive and contacted the Fiji project manager to ask if it had been sent there. Took about a week and multiple attempts to get a response and only after giving up and contacting PADI myself did I learn that I was not in their system. I then received an email from the programme and learned that the instructor had not submitted my data to PADI and he has since lost all record of my training. So $10,000 (plus the scuba gear I had to buy and the visa) and I still do not have my diving qualifications nor did I do any actual volunteering on the programme.
This organisation is not interested in your experiences or helping communities/environment etc, they only want your money and good luck to you if you give it, then you're on your own.
As stated at the beginning the first programme I did was fun and I enjoyed it, however the second time is beyond a disgrace. Do not trust GVI. Even when the programme was good it was not that good and it is certainly not worth the gamble. This has been the worst experience I've had with any business. If you want a good volunteer experience please check out Laos Conservation Trust for Wildlife (LCTW)

This trip was the best of my life! I've done a lot of traveling before this, and since, and nothing can come close to the time I had in Dawasamu. While I was there, the focus was on a new recycling program that was being developed so I spent the majority of my time creating content for that. There was also time spent working in the garden, with building, and even working in the mothers and babies clinic. Something that I've really come to like about GVI over the trips I've taken, is the the way that your volunteer experience is tailored around your interests. Of course this can't always happen, but the organization does its best. There were activity options for our free time, and since we live right in the village, we were very integrated into the community! If community development is your passion- look no further.

GVI Silana village, Dawasamu was one of the most eye opening experiences i have possibly ever had...as cheesy as it sounds. It was a refreshing feeling being around people who arn't consumed by technology. Their days consist of human interactions and connecting with each other and themselves through nature with use of their five senses. It was beautiful to see kids who arnt dependant on ipads and iphones and can just BE. You can have nothing in this world but have so much in many other ways and be absolutely happy! As much as i was making a difference for these amazing cheeky kids, they taught me so much more, i am so so thankful for the time that i got in the village and with the people i met that I'll never forget. apart of me will forever stay in Silana. Vinaka vakalevu, sota tale.

This program was one of the best choices I've made. I worked in Community Development in Fiji and this covered a wide range of jobs. For the most part I was helping develop the door to door recycling information package, which explained what to recycle and what was safe to burn. I also spent time working in the community garden, and a few days doing physical work (clearing out a lot, transporting sand bags, etc.). I also even taught in the mothers and babies clinic for a few days. There were a lot of amazing aspects to this placement and aside from the undeniable and direct positive impact that it has on the community, my favorite part was the diversity of tasks. GVI did an amazing job of tailoring what volunteers do to their strong suits and skills. I honestly cannot think of a better way for a young person to spend their time. Travel with an open mind (as these are simpler living conditions than what you're used to), and I can guarantee you'll have an experience you will never forget. I can't wait for my next project!

I‘ve been participating in this project for two months and I enjoyed every single day! The island where the project is located is very small but a real paradise. The dive sites around it are very beautiful as well; during the project you will have plenty of time to see how great they are because there is at least one dive per day for everybody!. I‘m very glad that I had the opportunity to be a part of the GVI community and the great important work they are doing. And I’m especially grateful for all the amazing people I met there and who made my experience a very funny, unique and unforgettable one. Sometimes, it can be a long day on base but the knowing that you are actually making a difference is worth every effort!
I can only recommend this project to everybody who likes to dive (or is interested to learn it as I did) and want’s to save the world (or at least a very beautiful part of it😉)

I went to Caqalai, Fiji, last February on the marine conservation project, I was previously only an open water diver so in the first week I did advanced open-water training, and also did the Reef Research diver qualification which was really fun, before I progressed onto doing surveys of the invertebrate species on Caqalai's reefs. The diving was out of this world and I experienced so many things I would never have done otherwise.
The community on the Island was also great. Living on a small island with a group of people is immersive to say the least, so we all bonded incredibly quickly and I made friends for life. I also met loads of people at various stages in their studies of environmental or marine sciences which was really helpful for helping me to decide on what I wanted to study this year and I got tons of advice on how to make the most of my degree after volunteering and how to stay involved back home.

I would recommend this project to anyone!