1 Month June 2019

In June 2019, I embarked on a month long expedition to Fiji with Think Pacific. I was apprehensive at first but upon arriving I was instantly greeted by friendly and welcoming faces.

We started off with a training weekend in a resort of the coast. Not only were we informed with everything and anything we’d need to know, we also had plenty of time to bond and get to know our teammates.

We then travelled to our village in the Nevosa Highlands. The lifestyle couldn’t be further from what we know in the UK; with tin huts, bucket showers and one room houses, it was definitely a shock but with our warming families and attentive leaders, we were never short of support.

Work included supporting a Kindi of children aged 3-5. Trying to control a bundle of toddlers who don’t speak your language can never be described as easy, but they were so adorable and lovely, there was no shortage of joy. In the afternoons we’d work with older kids on house cup and sports, it was so rewarding to see the children so engaged.

By far the most rewarding aspect of the trip was to see how grateful the children and family members were at the end of our month, you are for sure to see the impact you’ve made. The hardest part was goodbyes.

After our time in the village, our team was taken to a glorious island for several days to relax. With kayaking at sunrise and snorkelling after lunch, we were never short of memories.

All in all, with such a different lifestyle, there were inevitably challenges and obstacles, but I wouldn’t change any of it. I’m so proud of our whole team and I’ll take the memories with me for a lifetime.