Projects Abroad, Newsletters from Fiji

It is the end of the school year in Fiji and for Projects Abroad Care and Teaching volunteers this means Summer School Fun. This year more than thirty children of Suva Primary participated in the holiday school lessons. The emphasis was on educational learning this time and the volunteers did just that.

Fiji is more than just the picturesque Yasawaand Mamanucaislands, equally tranquil, far more natural and Fijian is Fiji’s third largest island of Taveuni. About an hour and half by airplane from either Suva or Nadiand almost 16 hours on a ferry boat from Suva, this magical island is a haven for those seeking adrenalin filled adventure on waterslides, waterfalls, lush tropical rain forests with of course the numerous opportunities to witness Fiji’s most unique flora and fauna.

In my last two weeks in Fiji, I started to work in the KipMcGrath school because I had heard about the good experiences of former volunteers. KipMcGrath is a very small private primary school in Martintar (near Eds Bar) with currently only 13 students. Because of this, every child can be supported individually.

School holidays had never been so much fun for the children attending NadiAirport School, as when the Projects Abroad Nadivolunteers held a 2 week holiday school for the children aged from 6years old to 14years old.

What is one of the first thoughts you have when you think of Fiji? Well mine was of course the movie Cast Away, but then my other thought was a lush, breathtaking getaway, and the perfect plan arised; Volunteer in Fiji!

In the heart of the rainforest, just minutes from Pacific harbor lies an experience that not many want to miss... the South Pacific’s first zip lining adventure course! Screams of excitement fill the surrounding area as visitors flock to experience the rush of adrenaline as they fly down eight zip lines high above the forest floor and Wainadoi River valley.

The next social was a little more exciting, having a "Bula" theme, allowing the volunteers to share their inner Fijian side with flower-printed dresses and bula shirts filling the Enchanted Gardens Restaurant where the group was treated to a delicious buffet dinner and fun was had by all.

Jone Lali Solinaikoroi; Recently joined the Projects Abroad Fiji Team as its Social Manager. Jone holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Language Literature from The University of the South Pacific and also holds a Diploma in Tertiary Teaching from the Fiji National University.

At the beginning of my volunteer project I didn’t know what to expect behind the lopsided, pink garden gate of the orphanage. I only knew that my new charges would be 12 infants. After I had exchanged a short few words with the manager, a little two-year-old jumped suddenly into my arms and started speaking at me in incomprehensible English. I had expected the children to be more held-back, and was very surprised to learn that they were the complete opposite.

It s the end of an era for Projects Abroad in Nadi...our three volunteers who have been here for the past six months all left in March. The first to go was Franziska Frohberg from Germany. She spent the first four months of her project at Treasure House Childrens Home, and finished up with a month of teaching at Mt St Mary s School. She also took some time out in the middle to travel to New Zealand.

“When I arrived in Fiji, I was unsure about what to expect. After many, many hours of plane travel, I was tired and missing my family back in the States already. However, it didn’t take long before I felt like I had a family in Fiji as well. My host mom Shabreen, her husband Tufel, and their son Tashkeel were so welcoming and friendly. They helped me settle in right away, and clearly wanted me to be as comfortable as possible. I was so grateful that they would graciously open up their home to me.”

Projects Abroad is excited to extend a very warm welcome to the city of Suva – our newest volunteer destination in the Pacific. Suva is home away from home for most travellers. It is a vibrant city offering a unique blend of western rhythm with a traditional and colonial tempo. Suva become the capital city of Fiji in 1882, and has since grown to be one of the Pacific’s most dynamic and influential cities, often considered “the hub” of the Pacific.

Schools in Fiji are closed for the summer holidays throughout December and January, so during this period Projects Abroad is hosting a summer school program at Nadi Airport School. The classes are taken solely by the volunteers, and are open to all the children whose parents are working and can’t look after them in the holidays, or just for children who want to take part in the games and activities on offer.

Diwali is an important five-day festival in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Every year it occurs between mid-October and mid-November, and for Hindus, Diwali is the most important festival of the year.

Last weekend Elenoa and I took the 2 Week Special Volunteers to Mana Island for the night, and what a treat it was!! I've only been in Fiji a short while myself and had not yet managed to fit in an Island trip, so it was a first for me too. I was blown away by the beauty and tranquillity which lies so close to Nadi’s coast!

This month children and teachers at Nadi Christian Academy got a nice treat on June 9th when American volunteer Sia Boima celebrated her birthday in Fiji at her placement! Just days before the end of her one month Teaching placement at the primary school in Nadi town, Sia generously hosted a birthday party at work in order to share her special day with the kids and teachers she had grown very attached to very quickly.

The end of April also brought with it the end of the first school term. This meant that the first two weeks of May were designated as school holidays for children and teachers. However, in order to continue their worthwhile work and satisfy the hunger for knowledge that so many of the local children display, Projects Abroad volunteers opted to host a special Holiday School for Nadi’s most enthusiastic students.

For ten days in April Projects Abroad Fiji was lucky enough to have a visit from Projects Abroad Australia marketing staff member Kathryn Kirk. Kat was visiting to see how things run on the ground in Fiji and learn about the placements in order to better help potential Australian volunteers prepare for their time abroad. Kat is one of two staff members in the Adelaide-based Projects Abroad office in Australia.

Canadian volunteer Eli Schwartz joined us in Fiji back in January for a 3-month Teaching placement at Nadi Airport School. He had never done any teaching prior to arriving in Fiji but immediately settled in and has since won rave reviews from all the staff and students at his project! Supervising teacher Mrs. Chandra has reluctantly been “sharing” Eli around with the other classes but his specialty has become the Remedial Class (also known as Reading Recovery) for Class 4.

With the Summer Holidays over at the end of January, February marked the beginning of another school year term. Volunteers are back at regular school in and around Nadi and those at Nadi Christian Academy face some particularly tough challenges but have had the opportunity to do some very valuable work.

The end of January saw the end of Summer School after 5 weeks of hard work from our volunteers. It was a great success with volunteers teaching the children a variety of topics and doing many different activities. During Summer School, ex-volunteers Charlotte Jorlov and Daniel Granot brought their families, who were visiting Fiji, to see the children - they were greeted with such enthusiasm from the pupils.

For many of our volunteers, Christmas this year will be very different from their usual festive celebrations. In 30 degree heat, it seems bizarre to see Christmas trees decorated with fake snow, and little snowmen with scarves on. However, Fijians fully enter into the Christmas spirit: Christmas songs are played everywhere, including the favourite ‘Feliz Navidad’.

Fijian meke is the name for the traditional dance of the indigenous people of Fiji Islands and is pronounced 'meh-kay'. Men, women and children all participate in the meke, which is a combination of dance and repetitive rhythmic chanting telling the stories of everyday life, or of ancient gods or of battles won.

‘Fiji Week’ is a week of festivities culminating in Fiji Day on 10 October (the anniversary of Fiji's independence from British colonial rule in 1970) annually. A different theme is chosen every year, but common elements include religious ceremonies and cultural performances. This year was 39th anniversary of the nation’s independence which fell on Saturday. In Suva, thousands of school children and others paraded through the streets and there were many other celebrations throughout the Fiji islands.