IVI Volunteers- 15+ Authentic & Affordable Programs in Fiji

The trip to Fiji was really amazing and rewarding! Highly recommended to people of all ages!! Thank you for offering me such a wondering experience of a lifetime. The whole arrangement by IVI was perfectly smooth and we were well-informed of the dos and don’ts before the journey started. Special thanks to you as you are very helpful and always reply to my many queries promptly:)

It has been 2 weeks already since I left Fiji. 100% a great place for traveling, volunteering and meeting friends from all over the world. I miss everything there, especially the people and their lovely ‘Fiji smile’. They were just too friendly and easy-going. Our placements in a kindergarten in Suva and a rural primary school in Nadi were definitely the best parts of the trip. I enjoyed the teaching and was pleased that I could really help the local teachers a bit with the progress of some weaker students. (Always worrying about having no contribution at all before the trip XD) You would be surprised when you find out the huge difference in learning levels the students could have in one class, i.e. the smart ones were learning multiplication in maths while some could not even recognize the numbers from 1 to 10. Hopefully, there will be more volunteers joining in the future so that the program can be sustained in a long run.

My time in Fiji was an absolute blast, and something that I will always cherish and remember! Taking part in the road trip was a fantastic program as I got to experience a lot; living like the locals in different villages, volunteering, going on adventures with new friends on the weekends, playing rugby, hanging with the locals and drinking kava, and soo much more!

Having the opportunity to experience true Fijian culture by living in the villages with several families was something that I will never forget. It is such a rare experience, and I recommend anyone travelling to Fiji to take on this opportunity. The Chief and family were very welcoming and friendly and took great care of me. Seeing such a community way of life was really great to see, with everyone getting along and taking care of one another, the kids playing outside running amuck or exploring the beaches – you just had to join in!

Being able to take part and lead kids club in Suva and helping out at a school in Levuka was just an amazing and humbling experience for me. Seeing the kid’s smiles and just how happy and grateful they are for what they have is definitely eye-opening. I have learnt so much personally, that has changed the way I think and see life. Back home we have so many great opportunities and material goods that we simply just take for granted. Whereas they are over the moon to simply go to school and have a pencil and book to write in.

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.

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,