Nutrition and Public Health Volunteering in Fiji

What an amazing experience! Volunteering in Fiji was an experience I will never forget. Being able to provide much need care and knowledge to the local communities on health and nutrition was so rewarding. We got a real taste of the Fijian culture! I can't wait to be able to volunteer again. Masi and Mere were fantastic hosts! We dd have very little protein to eat (something I personally struggled with) and we did go to the shops often to stock up tuna tuna and more tuna! Acommodation was great. It would be great to have a refresh of supplies (BP cuffs and stethoscopes) to use as we had to do a fair few repairs on equipment.

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The team of us who were placed in Moala were instantly taken in by the family we were living and were made to feel part of the family. I am grateful for this experience, for the people I met and for the wonderful people who cared for us throughout the 2 weeks. This trip has inspired me to pursue work in global health and the pacific islands, and I hope one day I will be back to reconnect with the beautiful people I met on this trip!

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I am so blessed to have been lead by amazing dietician and naturopathic professionals who have inspired what I hope to be in this field one day. Words and pictures could never capture how life changing this experience was, and what beautiful souls these people hold. Pictures also don’t capture how challenging and uncomfortable it was at times, but it was worth it to change at least one persons life. Thank you to the Fijian culture for teaching ME life lessons and for opening my eyes to so many things I was blind to before.

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What a fantastic trip. Getting the opportunity to live in a village for a week was so incredibly special, and all of our hosts quickly became like family. The work itself was challenging at times but very rewarding, and I felt like we were making a difference within the communities that we worked in. We were also so lucky to have such an amazing group of women from many different backgrounds; definitely some lifelong friends made from this experience and their hard work and comradery made the trip all the more special. International nutrition is a field I've been interested in working in for 4 years now, and I feel that this trip has increased my skills, my knowledge base and my drive to continue with this work. I would highly recommend doing this trip for the experience, the beautiful people of Fiji, the memories, the lifelong friends and the opportunity to spend time out of your comfort zone and build a stronger you.

There were so many highlights to this trip! However the one that stood out the most was living in Moala village for one week. The team of us who were placed in Moala were instantly taken in by the family we were living and were made to feel part of the family. The people we visited in Moala, Yako and Korovuto were so welcoming and grateful to receive health checks. Visiting people in their homes and in the community halls within the villages, it was evident culture and family are so important. The women that live in these villages are the centre to their families, they care for their families and sometimes this can impact negatively on their health. It is important that we conducted health checks on these women because it provides an opportunity for them to make lifestyle changes that will improve their health so they can be healthy for longer and care for their families. There are local champiosn within each of the communities which provides a sense of hope that they will influence others within the community to take care of their health and make healthier food choices. One observation I found interesting was the traditional Fijian diet eaten in the villages. The food was not particuarly unhealthy, however the addition of flour, sugar and simple carbohydrates (e.g. rice and casava) in very large amounts eaten on a daily basis is contributing towards high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels. Changes take time, and by community members making small changes to their diet blood pressure and blood sugar levels will improve. This trip was challenging, rewarding, overwhelming, amazing and so enjoyable. I am grateful for this experience, for the people I met and for the wonderful people who cared for us throughout the 2 weeks. This trip has inspired me to pursue work in global health and the pacific islands, and I hope one day I will be back to reconnect with the beautiful people I met on this trip :) The local team were wonderful. It was great to be able to live with the local team for 2 weeks and enjoy traditional cooked food and listen to their stories and feel part of their family. The food provided on the trip was great, however one recommendation would be to include more protein in each of the meals so volunteers feel satisfied throughout the day. The accomodation was lovely and was nice to be able to share with other team members because this allowed us to get to know one another and share stories and debrief about our day doing health health checks in the villages. It would be great to provide volunteers with more detail on accomodation prior to the trip starting. Also a very high level itinerary would be helfpul in the lead up to the trip, however I understand 'Fiji time' and that plans can change and a detailed schedule may not be ideal.

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The nutrition project in Fiji was a very eye opening experience. It allowed me to learn more about Fiji as a nation and more about the ill-fated issues that affect a majority of their population, all while using my available skills to help out where possible. It was a great way for me to be exposed to more of the nation’s people’s and cultures, which I was very honoured to be a part of. The volunteering experience was very hectic but also felt very rewarding, trying to provide health check ups for people who may not have as much access to medical checks. The people of the villages and places we visited were so welcome and kind, it made the entire experience very enjoyable and fulfilling. It was also very surprising seeing the cases of high BP or sugar levels across the population, alerting me to some of the major issues experienced by the population. Overall, I learnt so much from this experience and enjoyed every minute of it and hope to delve into similar projects again to further my interests and knowledge of healthcare around the world. Our volunteer facilitator Carrun and Mary were lovely and very accomodating for the entire trip. I never felt like I could not ask a question with them. The local team that I worked with were very friendly and easy to get along with. The food provided by the host family was delicious and plentiful, it felt like a little feast every day. The families holding the dinner were all very accomodating and welcoming of their home, and their treatment towards us was very heartwarming, providing us with a place to stay as well as a lot of amazing local food. The accomodation at the farm was a unique stay that overall was very different but enjoyable as I spent a good amount of time away from the online world and focused more on things that didn’t require electricity or the internet. Whilst adjusting to it was different, over time the accomodation became very cosy and enjoyable with my volunteer group. Overall, the local team, food and accomodation was great!

As a group, we bonded and gained great insight into the public health situation in Fiji. Through this process, we felt welcomed, making a tangible impact on the communities and witnessing health outcomes we otherwise may never have seen. Through the 4 days we spent in the community, both remote and urban, we gained tangible skills from taking blood pressure to measuring blood glucose as well as communication and time management skills. One of the most memorable experiences was our stay at the farm, during which we experienced an authentic Fijian lifestyle that was unlike anything I’d experienced before. The people we met there were incredibly welcoming and grateful and overall, I would highly recommend this program. The local team were super helpful and welcoming. We had the pleasure of meeting Masi and Mere who went above and beyond to accommodate us, treating us as their own family. The home cooked meals were delicious and provided great insight the culture of the local people. Accommodation provided by the team was also comfortable and clean. Overall, a very positive experience.

Travelling with Carrun and just a small group of girls who were all amazing….going around the Mamanuca Islands and working in different communities each day was really cool. Epic team and i’d love to volunteer again with the same group of amazing girls if I could! Carrun was a legend and made the trip super fun.

I had a great time! I am thankful for the trip ? Returning to the Melbourne cold has been a bit of a freeze haha Here is my feedback! The trip would not have been the same without the amazing pals I shared it with. Sharing this experience with them was bonding to the max haha. The rural villages were definitely a highlight of the trip! The villagers are incredibly friendly and caring, and they were grateful for our health checks as much as we were grateful for their hospitality. One particular villager, which was our live-in rooster, was most entertaining. Every evening he would climb the tree outside our bedroom and would wake us up no earlier than 4am, all I can say is that we were very ready for the day ahead haha. The amazing Danielle, our super coordinator, my personal hero, what a babe. Mere, my mother from another country. Food wise, I’ve learnt that my body can eat way more carbs than I thought possible haha. This trip has expanded my recipe book, not sure I can live without roti parcels and that marvellous spinach recipe now haha. Sharing the accomodation with the rest of the team made it feel like home, which eased my apprehension. I’m not sure if there’s too much that can be done with Fiji time, but other than that I would have loved a bit more pre-departure information regarding the family we would be staying with, as well as an itinerary for the trip. Just so that I can assure my family, friends, and myself, that I’m not just rocking up and hoping for the best haha.

Everyone we met was so lovely and we had such a good time. Extremely rewarding and we felt like we were applying our knowledge to help the community. Highlight – having the villages provide us local food. Team - Masi and Mari (and their extended family) were so incredibly accomodating, kind and informative. They ensured we were as comfortable as could be. Food – fresh and beautifully home made. Really helped us feel at home Accomodation – Latouka homes were very comfortable and even the farm was as comfortable as could be Carrun – very, very kind and helpful. Her experiences were very valuable and equipped us to go out as a team to the villages and have a great time

Highlights from my volunteering was visiting Tonia village, witnessing a sevusevu ceremony, performing health checks on the locals and being fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to go to a home visit. The care and warmth of the Fijian people is something I’ll never forget! I’m so grateful to Masi, Mere and Carrun for looking after the team. Masi, Mere and Carrun were amazing! The food at Uncle Kalepi’s house was delish and Mere made sure to feed us well ? The accommodation was great.

The experiences we had were amazing. It felt like a very worthwhile project where we were making a difference. We learnt that Fijians usually only seek medical assistance when something is going wrong. So the preventative checks that we were doing on blood pressure and blood sugar are usually neglected. The education side was also basic for us as Australians but was enlightening for the Fijians. We came across Fijians that had made a significant change in their lifestyle since the last team visited and can only assume that some significant changes would be made after our team’s visit. We could see how lives could be saved as a result of this program. We were fortunate to have a diverse set of experiences including visiting villages, visiting a primary school, visiting a high school and assessing the health of staff in a resort. I lead a couple of dances at the primary school which was a real highlight. Over our 2 weeks we circumnavigated the main island of Fiji, stayed in a village, visited a waterfall, were given a tour of a deep cave, participated in Kava ceremonies, watched fire walking and stayed in a resort. The Fijian people were incredibly friendly, had a good sense of humour and were extremely thankful for our visit. The local team of Masi, Mary and Lessie were amazing. They provided a necessary link between the volunteers and the Fijians as far as interpreters and our adherence to local customs. All were incredibly friendly and personable. They opened their home to us and drove us around in their cars. The food was excellent and catered to the different dietary requirements that existed in the team. The accommodation was all very good. Obviously in the village, the accommodation was a little more primitive (all of the team sleeping in one room and cold showers) but that was real and to be expected. Carrun’s concern for the Fijian people was obvious and she was particularly good at the relationships between the team and the various village or corporate leaders. She also cared for the team and kept us informed of upcoming requirements.

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I spent two weeks travelling around Fiji where I stayed in Lautoka, Suva, a village, and a resort – so lots of different accomodation styles. I was very lucky to have had such an amazing team to work with – they went from being a team of strangers, to becoming like a second family to me. We received training on how to perform blood pressure and blood sugar checks, and how to take height, weight, and waist measurements correctly. The first week of the project was spent living in a village. It was a huge culture shock at first, just a completely different way of living to what we have back home. But it was one of the highlights of my trip because never have I felt so welcomed, accepted, and taken care of by such lovely and friendly people. Our host family were wonderful, making us feel so at home and giving us the opportunity to really immerse ourselves in the culture. I learnt so much from them – Fijian phrases, what they typically eat, how to tie a sulu correctly, their history, what a typical day in a village is like, the etiquette, etc. By the end of the stay I really did feel like a local. This was a truly eye opening and rewarding experience, being able to put a smile on each individual’s face when we performed the health checks and knowing how much it meant to them was such an amazing experience to be apart of. The second week of the project was spent at Nanuku resort. This was a completelty different contrast to what we had experienced the previous week. But again, just like the first week, we were warmly welcomed and just our presence was so highly regarded by the Fijian people. A highlight for me in this week was hearing how some of the ladies had consciously made the effort to increase their exercise and watch their sugar consumption, leading to lower weight and waist measurements which came primarily down to the fact that they had listened to our education talks the last time we had visited them. So hearing this only reinforced why this project is so worth becoming involved in, knowing that you truly are making small differences in peoples lives.