Volunteer in Fiji with a Non-Profit. Unique Programs!

It was my first volunteering experience and I had a wonderful time. Even though I was in the "Teaching" program instead of my planned "Health Education" program, it was a life-enriching experience to teach a 3rd grade class in english, math and social studies. The people in Fiji are extremely friendly and open-minded. Every day was full of good vibes and laughter. I would like to come back one day. The coordinators were lovely people and took care of everyone. I enjoyed the good food and the accomodation was sufficient. It felt like home in a big family.

I learned a lot about cultural differences, which is interesting. We, the Japanese do not insist on our opinion, but Fijian children insist on what they think a lot. The children were always friendly and welcomed me to Fiji. On 1st day of volunteering, they asked my name and were around me with a big smile. They jumped to my back and asked me to teach them what they learned in their class. Although I chose a teaching program, technically I just translated English to Japanese for a Japanese boy who doesn't understand English and Fijian. There was a Japanese boy who came to Fiji because of his father's work. Sometimes I helped local teachers. When the local children raised their hands to ask me, I taught. Teaching was not easy since English is my second language, but it was interesting what I consider to teach them. Coordinators also welcomed me to Fiji. They were always nice and helpful. Honestly, I didn't eat the food in the accommodation at the beginning of this trip because it was completely different from the food that I eat in my country, but I could get used to the food in Fiji. It took a time to get used to the accommodation, but it was getting okay for me.

What an amazing experience! Volunteering in Fiji was an experience I will never forget. Being able to provide much need care and knowledge to the local communities on health and nutrition was so rewarding. We got a real taste of the Fijian culture! I can't wait to be able to volunteer again. Masi and Mere were fantastic hosts! We dd have very little protein to eat (something I personally struggled with) and we did go to the shops often to stock up tuna tuna and more tuna! Acommodation was great. It would be great to have a refresh of supplies (BP cuffs and stethoscopes) to use as we had to do a fair few repairs on equipment.

Nutrition outreach and public health volunteering in Fiji, July 2024... The team of us who were placed in Moala were instantly taken in by the family we were living and were made to feel part of the family. I am grateful for this experience, for the people I met and for the wonderful people who cared for us throughout the 2 weeks. This trip has inspired me to pursue work in global health and the pacific islands, and I hope one day I will be back to reconnect with the beautiful people I met on this trip!

I am so blessed to have been lead by amazing dietician and naturopathic professionals who have inspired what I hope to be in this field one day. Words and pictures could never capture how life changing this experience was, and what beautiful souls these people hold. Pictures also don’t capture how challenging and uncomfortable it was at times, but it was worth it to change at least one persons life.

Thank you to the Fijian culture for teaching ME life lessons and for opening my eyes to so many things I was blind to before.

What a fantastic trip. Getting the opportunity to live in a village for a week was so incredibly special, and all of our hosts quickly became like family. The work itself was challenging at times but very rewarding, and I felt like we were making a difference within the communities that we worked in. We were also so lucky to have such an amazing group of women from many different backgrounds; definitely some lifelong friends made from this experience and their hard work and comradery made the trip all the more special. International nutrition is a field I've been interested in working in for 4 years now, and I feel that this trip has increased my skills, my knowledge base and my drive to continue with this work.

I would highly recommend doing this trip for the experience, the beautiful people of Fiji, the memories, the lifelong friends and the opportunity to spend time out of your comfort zone and build a stronger you.

There were so many highlights to this trip! However the one that stood out the most was living in Moala village for one week. The team of us who were placed in Moala were instantly taken in by the family we were living and were made to feel part of the family.

The people we visited in Moala, Yako and Korovuto were so welcoming and grateful to receive health checks. Visiting people in their homes and in the community halls within the villages, it was evident culture and family are so important. The women that live in these villages are the centre to their families, they care for their families and sometimes this can impact negatively on their health. It is important that we conducted health checks on these women because it provides an opportunity for them to make lifestyle changes that will improve their health so they can be healthy for longer and care for their families. There are local champiosn within each of the communities which provides a sense of hope that they will influence others within the community to take care of their health and make healthier food choices.

One observation I found interesting was the traditional Fijian diet eaten in the villages. The food was not particuarly unhealthy, however the addition of flour, sugar and simple carbohydrates (e.g. rice and casava) in very large amounts eaten on a daily basis is contributing towards high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels. Changes take time, and by community members making small changes to their diet blood pressure and blood sugar levels will improve.

This trip was challenging, rewarding, overwhelming, amazing and so enjoyable. I am grateful for this experience, for the people I met and for the wonderful people who cared for us throughout the 2 weeks. This trip has inspired me to pursue work in global health and the pacific islands, and I hope one day I will be back to reconnect with the beautiful people I met on this trip :)

The food provided on the trip was great, however one recommendation would be to include more protein in each of the meals so volunteers feel satisfied throughout the day.
The accomodation was lovely and was nice to be able to share with other team members because this allowed us to get to know one another and share stories and debrief about our day doing health health checks in the villages.

We enjoyed our volunteering experience in Fiji and loved interacting with the warm and welcoming Fijian people. Masi and Mare were great hosts and made our stay as comfortable as possible. It was also nice to meet and enjoy the company of Chris and Ruby and hear of their experiences each day. Sampreeti loved her experience of volunteering in the kindergarten as well as accompanying us on the health checks door to door for those who were too disabled to attend clinics in person.

We also went to a special needs school (Sunshine School) one day with one of the chief guests who was attending a function at the kindergarten. I donated my bp instrument to the health visitor Aseni and hope it will help her monitor the health of her community through discussion with her local medical personnel. Sampreeti also donated a small amount of stationary supplies to the school for the little students. The school and the Lovu Hart Community were very kind welcoming. I gave a small health talk and watched Aseni deliver a talk to the children and parents on health issues. I enjoyed working with Aseni who was a diligent and caring health visitor. We will carry happy memories of our visit to Fiji. Thank you.

Thanks, once again,
Dr Susmita & Sampreeti