GVI, Ethical Impact: Volunteer in Fiji

I loved my experience volunteering with GVI last March. The program I helped was called Women's Empowerment and was really interesting and fulfilling. While I was there I met so many amazing people and the staff were really helpful and friendly. The local community were so welcoming and experiencing their culture and way of life was refreshing. I highly recommend volunteering with GVI and I will definitely be volunteering with them again in future.

If you’re looking for a way to get overseas, I would highly recommend GVI. I have just finished my 6 months on there Marine Conservation Dive Master Internship on Caqalai Island, Fiji and loved every second of it! The field staff are incredible and life away from the hustle and bustle is amazing! GVI gives you the opportunity to be part of something bigger while meeting new people, learning about the marine environment and SCUBA diving/ snorkelling everyday. What more could you want?

I spent two months on the tiny island of Caqalai in Fiji during my gap year. I had never scuba dived before and was super nervous to be living away from home for the first time on my own. The country of Fiji is the most welcoming place I've ever been, everywhere you go people say 'bula' meaning hello.

I lived on a remote island in the middle of the south pacific with about 20 other volunteers and about 10 staff members. A normal day consisted of duties at 6:30am, breakfast at 7, kit up for dives at 8 and then the day would begin. Diving twice a day most days and then duties again at 5 and dinner at 7. Island life was so much fun and so rewarding the more experience you gained. I began science training and lectures in the first week and also completed my Open Water. Living standards are very basic on the island but you quickly get used to this. Cooking and cleaning in a team make you appreciate the little things in life more and no hot water becomes a luxury.

At weekends we would travel to the capital city of Suva, climb mountains, eat good food and see cool places. The island next to Caqalai was a peaceful haven where we also spent weekends. You can stay on base at weekends and relax and trust me time flies by!

I came away from this program with much more understanding and insight into environmental issues and I have learned so much about sea life forms I never knew existed. Two months was certainly not enough and I would have loved to have done the internship where you stay on the island for 3 months then on a placement for another 3 months in Fiji. I made amazing friends and have such good memories of my experience. I would recommend this program to every body on their gap year who is looking for something new and exciting to do.

If you asked me at the start of 2016, 'would I settle for cold, limited showers every day' I would have said no. If you asked me at the start of 2016, 'could I live in village-like conditions and adapt to their everyday lifestyle', I probably would have said no. What a change! If you ask me that now? Yes. Beyond yes. I would do it any day. I miss it, every single minute of the day. The children, the families, the village women and the men, they all make life worth living. They prove to you the true definition of happiness and I will be forever grateful that I had the opportunity to experience that. GVI provides full opportunity for you to live like the village people do, and have an insight of what their lives have been in comparison to what their lives are and will be. The change is significant and there are so many things that have already changed since I finished with GVI. It's revolving so quickly. It has been over 6 months now, and I hold onto my experience like it was yesterday. GVI provide you with a family which helps you more than you will know. It is daunting at first, but all families I have met within the village are so welcoming and make your experience a whole lot better. Recently, (after I finished with GVI) I went back to Silana (the village), and stayed with my family for a couple of weeks. They will never forget you, and they sure will love you no matter what. One of the village men said 'why did you come back?', I said 'I had to, Silana stole a piece of my heart' and he said 'vinaka vakalevu (thank you), because you make us feel like we have something special, and you give us a reason to smile'.They don't need much to be happy, and GVI succeeds in brightening every day of their lives. GVI is a great organisation where I met at least 6 long life friends. I have already, and will travel with them in the future. They provide extremely great security and there are rules in place that really do work best with the conditions. Meals are provided and duties/chores are fairly spread among the volunteers. There is a rotating roster for cleaning, cooking and other duties needed. The living conditions are obviously not the best, but they are more than what you need, perfectly suited to your program and probably as good as you will get it in comparison to any other organisation, considering the location and condition you choose to live in. The community vibe within the village is amazing. Schooling hours are 8:30am - 2:00pm usually depending on your grade as timetables vary. You are not told before you get there that you may be running lessons or a whole class on your own, sometimes you will have a partner. This seems scary at first, but it works out fine. Probably better than with someone, as you get to bond with the kids so much! There is constant on-the-job support and in-country support. You will have a team leader who is there to help you teach at first if you do not feel confident enough. Subjects taught include literacy mainly, sport, music, art and some other subjects may be included depending on your grade. After school you are entitled to free time. This can be used to spend time with you family, or catch a taxi from the local village into Korovou town to by some food/recharge or any essentials. On the weekends you are also entitled to sign out of the base and do whatever you please to. There are buckets to use to wash your clothes in the village, so bring washing powder or soap if you please, although on the weekends most places you visit will have a Laundry, which costs usually $4FJD (approximately) per kg of washing. Having weekends to yourself was great as it gave time for us volunteers to bond and explore Fiji! Or a couple of weekends I stayed at my families house and did so many activities with them. The community even invited us to a Fijian wedding one weekend, which was unique and wonderful! I have been to Fiji 4 times now, and it will probably never end. The Dawasamu District has stolen my heart. My appreciation for everything has increased majorly, being just the scent of my clothes after being washed by a machine, and a working fan in Summer. I will forever hold on to all the memories made with GVI and I can highly recommend it. It was the best experience I have ever had yet.

You will not regret choosing to volunteer with GVi in Fiji- you learn to dive and discover the amazing underwater world which never ceases to amaze regardless of how many dives you will do or have previously done elsewhere- it is beautiful. The fact that you get to survey sites to indicate the reefs health and contribute your part after being taught many new skills all while having an awesome experience, is incredible. No words can describe the experience you will have but it is also what you put into it. Have an open mind and you will be blown away. Not only do you get to be in an incredibly beautiful country but you get to immerse yourself into the beautiful Fijian culture and meet so many warm and welcoming people- they become your family and you will always be welcomed back. The only warning I can give you is you will be so sad to leave and you will miss it every day- but bring on the return trip!

Something changed within me when I arrived on the island and was greeted by the staff and local families of Nanuya Lailai. It was one of those few and far in between instances when I undoubtedly knew I chose the right path. From the moment we set foot on camp, the staff was completely engaged and caring, as were all my fellow volunteers. The locals were so thankful for our support and not only welcomed us, but treated each and every one of us like family. Every day was filled with adventure; and every night, I fell asleep satisfied. My fiancee, who travelled along, returned home changed people and have since decided that volunteering is something that will be a permanent part of our lives. The thought of travelling across the world may sound as intimidating as exciting, but GVI keeps you safe and is with you every step of the way. Just bring the bug spray and dive in; you won't regret it!

On a day to day basis we travelled by boat to villages where we installed guttering and water tanks. Highlights included the amazing weather (when it wasnt raining or cyclones weren't a threat!), the chance to learn to scuba dive and the amazing people, both volunteers and locals, that I met along the way.

I decided to accompany my fiance to Fiji for the education program. Little did I know how much it would change my life. After living in Fiji for over a month I realized just how easy my life was compared to the Fijian people's. They truly do not have anything they do not need and are surprisingly the most welcoming, polite and friendly people I've ever met. Once I returned home I made a decision that I was going to come as close to living like their life style as I possibly could. 1 week after my arrival back home I had sold half of my wardrobe and nearly all of my possessions. Being around these people enlightened me on how beautiful life truly is and how much more complicated it gets when you surround yourself with things you do not need.