Fiji

Hi, my name is Whitley de Luna, I've been on the teaching project for Frontier Fiji for 3 weeks. The part I disliked about the teaching was that my teacher wasn't very helpful. She wouldn't give me any teaching materials and just didn't show up for class. So I was stuck trying to improvise on my own. I only taught one lesson in the two weeks I was in that class. Ria did switch me to a new class on my 3rd week, but then I ended up in the hospital due to food poisoning. Ria is a very amazing staff member. Her support and helpfulness was very appreciated. She brought me to the hospital twice due to tropical infections. I didn't really talk to Rowena. I only seen her at the airport when we arrived, one time after that, and then her going away kava ceremony. The homestay was very amazing. I felt very welcomed and apart of their family. They really made my stay here enjoyable.

I did the sports coaching project and had a really great time. John Wesley primary school where I was positioned was perfect for the project- I was a PE teacher there which meant I was doing 4-5 hours of sports each day which is exactly what I was hoping for which made my time even more enjoyable! The project staff were very helpful in introducing me to the school and helping to settle me in to the lifestyle. the project homestay was probably the highlight of the trip- the family were so lovely and so accommodating that any feeling of homesickness soon disappeared. I would definitely recommend this project to anyone interested in coaching/teaching sports or for anyone who is interested in coming to Fiji!

The project has been amazing, I have never felt more welcome away from home and I have enjoyed every minute. The local people who become part of your every day life are always grateful for any help you can provide which encourages you to give the project everything you can! I have found John Wesley Primary School has been excellent for sports coaching and has been able to provide a lot more sports coaching experience for volunteers than the alternative school of Dudley Intermediate School. A big thanks also goes to the Frontier stay and family at the homestay who have made to 10 weeks go very quickly and I take with me lots of fond memories!

I did a sport coaching placement, it was awesome though not much sport was played. In country staff were good and very supportive with any problems that may arise.
Overall a fantastic experience, the homestay definitely made it!!!

I am Marko Matic from Melbourne, Australia. I had just recently graduated from the University of Melbourne and taken a year off to travel. I always wanted to come to Fiji, and by doing the healthcare project in Suva I figured I would also be doing something worthwhile. The project was good and the staff here were extremely friendly. The highlight of the trip was staying with a lovely Fijian family the entire time and eating delicious food everyday. The weekdays were spent doing rewarding work and the weekends going around visiting Fiji with the other friendly volunteers. I would recommend the project to anybody who wanted to see Fiji whilst volunteering.

Fiji is an amazing place to volunteer, frontier offers a good program to work in schools with middle school aged children. i was placed in Dudley intermediate school and worked with 12 and 13 year old. The school and kids are great but is definitely hard work but very rewarding. I think once Frontier are able to get a few more schools with different age ranges (eg primary and kindergarden) options for volunteers to be placed in it will let some volunteers have a better fit for their personalities.

I took part in the Journalism Project and Teaching Project, both of which I loved.

The journalism work was fascinating, I was thrown in at the deep end at first which was daunting but very rewarding! I can now say that I have written over twenty articles for a national newspaper, which is incredible and I feel very privileged! On the only occasion when I had an issue at this placement, it was sorted out immediately by staff, and both the Frontier staff, the staff at the Fiji Times and the family at the homestay made me feel very supported in everything I was doing. Writing for a newspaper provided me with incredible opportunities to explore the country and learn about its culture and current history.

The teaching project was extremely rewarding and had a lot of scope for range which I found very exciting. I was able to tailor my teaching towards what I thought was most effective and useful to the kids. The Fijian school holidays coincided with my project dates, and provided the other volunteers and I with an excellent opportunity to arrange a holiday club with the kids, as well as painting maps around the school ourselves, which was a very exciting project and the teachers and the students were very grateful!

Overall, I would definitely recommend Frontier projects (especially Fiji!) to my friends and family, and would love to volunteer with them in the future!

Just coming to the end of 8 weeks on the Healthcare project, volunteering for the Fiji Cancer Society. The healthcare project hasn't been without its complications, but I have had a great time living as part of a Fijian family and have gained a lot of experience by being involved with clinics within the hospital. I would recommend Frontier and Fiji however the healthcare project needs some improvements before it is up to the same standard as the other projects that are run in Fiji by Frontier.

I feel the project has been so worthwhile and I feel like I have accomplished a lot whilst volunteering in Fiji on the teaching project.

Had an amazing time in Fiji, met some amazing people and have some brilliant memories to take back.

The project was fantastic, really practical and managed to get loads of stories published, the homestay family will do anything in their power to make you feel comfortable and at home.

Definitely recommend this trip to anybody who's looking for valuable experience whilst also getting to experience a different culture and an amazing country!