{"id":2736,"date":"2017-11-04T17:28:52","date_gmt":"2017-11-04T17:28:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/?p=2736"},"modified":"2022-04-13T15:42:23","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T15:42:23","slug":"what-to-expect-if-you-volunteer-in-fiji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/what-to-expect-if-you-volunteer-in-fiji\/","title":{"rendered":"What To Expect If You Volunteer In Fiji"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>ROSIE\u2019S REFLECTIVE OF THINK PACIFIC PROJECT TO FIJI<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>Joining a Traditional Fijian Village:<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Joining a Fijian village is probably one of the biggest culture shocks you will ever experience. The Sevu Sevu (a<\/div>\n<div>welcoming ceremony to accept us into the village) is the first complete culture shock. Even though we are briefed on<\/div>\n<div>what to expect, how to act and what to say, no one wants to do anything wrong. As volunteers, we are constantly<\/div>\n<div>keeping in mind how to sit properly and how to take the grog (the local home brew made from the cava root which<\/div>\n<div>makes your limbs go numb), in order not to cause any offence. Saying that, all of us kept saying \u2018Dola\u2019 wrong (it\u2019s pronounced \u2018Thola\u2019, spelt \u2018Cola\u2019\u2013 which means \u2018Hello\u2019\/ \u2018good health to you\u2019 in the Nadroga &amp; Navosa Province). The Chief found this hilarious, and so kept taking the mick out of those who pronounced it wrong \u2013 which was a relief!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div>Being introduced into the homes is another culture shock. Having to go outside on nightly trips to the toilet, trying to<\/div>\n<div>remember to say \u201cchilo\u201d (\u2018excuse me\u2019) when walking amongst people, and remembering not to touch your food<\/div>\n<div>without first giving \u2018masu\u2019 (prayer). Although all the customs seemed intense within the first hour of being<\/div>\n<div>there, when I met my family I felt completely at ease. My sister, Mele, and her 9-month old son (the cutest little boy<\/div>\n<div>ever!) were the first people I properly met \u2013 my Fijian parents were away on the islands fishing! Mele has the best<\/div>\n<div>sense of humor so it was really easy to feel relaxed in our new home. She continued to tell us about everyone in our<\/div>\n<div>(rather large) family and this felt slightly overwhelming as most of our family lives on the same street (well, strip of<\/div>\n<div>grass). It does take a while to remember who everyone is, and how they\u2019re related to us! Two other volunteers (our<\/div>\n<div>cousins) lived opposite us in our auntie\u2019s house (who was the first female Sea Captain in Fiji) where we ate every<\/div>\n<div>day. Eating as a family with fellow volunteers made it a lot easier to adapt, as there were 4 of us who could help<\/div>\n<div>each other.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>After 2-3 days I felt as if I had been in the village for a lifetime. Mealtimes were sometimes challenging during those first few days. As hosts, our family insisted on waiting for us to finish our meals before they would eat (despite our invitations for them to eat with us!) However, the third day was such a highlight as it was the first time we all ate as a family. We really felt fully accepted as family (not guests) and from there the banter just got better and better&#8230;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Evening family games were some of my best memories from the village. Fijians love card games and will keep playing<\/div>\n<div>the same one over and over, finding it just as hilarious every time they play (\u2018Last Card\u2019 was the family favorite). We<\/div>\n<div>even taught our family how to play \u2018Spoons\u2019 \u2013 which may or may not have been a good decision (it got pretty brutal<\/div>\n<div>at times and we all came away with a few nail marks on our fingers). Fijians tend to be very competitive and may<\/div>\n<div>even cheat at card games, which my brother Bibi was a master at; but he taught me how to cheat as well so I didn\u2019t<\/div>\n<div>mind and kept quiet!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Even though village life is completely amazing, there is one thing that pretty much every volunteer will have to deal<\/div>\n<div>with, and that is getting the runs. No matter how much you try to avoid it by taking multi-vitamins or blockers, you<\/div>\n<div>will just have to accept the inevitability. My volunteer sister and I had them for six days straight, during which I may<\/div>\n<div>or may not have pooped my pants. But hey, it\u2019s all part of the experience!<\/div>\n<div class=\"canvasWrapper\"><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div>Apart from that, washing clothes and bathing in the river, helping with the cooking, collecting firewood, going to the<\/div>\n<div>farm to pick purple sweet potatoes (which are just delicious!) and collecting lemon leaves in the morning to make<\/div>\n<div>\u2018roni moli\u2019 (lemon leaf tea) are just some of the best things that are wound into village life and culture and are what<\/div>\n<div>makes the whole experience so amazing! That, and all of the food \u2013 you will never go hungry in a Fijian village! If you<\/div>\n<div>wanted to, you could have 3 dinners in one night! Our family wouldn\u2019t let us go to someone else\u2019s house for dinner<\/div>\n<div>unless we had tea first. If you are a food lover, just wait until you try Fijian food, you will be blown away. Roti with<\/div>\n<div>my uncle Ben\u2019s pumpkin noodle curry was my all-time favorite meal as well as my sister\u2019s coconut buns, which she<\/div>\n<div>taught us how to make. Even if we didn\u2019t like something or if we were ill and struggled to eat anything, it was so easy<\/div>\n<div>to let our family know and they would give us bread or crackers with black tea to help us get better.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>A fun fact about our village was that it was home to the \u2018bone doctor\u2019 (also my auntie\u2019s ex-boyfriend); the gift is<\/div>\n<div>passed down from father to son and they have natural powers that can help to heal bones. We were sat having<\/div>\n<div>dinner one night and the bone doctor was redressing our Aunties arm which she had broken a few weeks<\/div>\n<div>beforehand. She told us that he had massaged her bone, felt that it was fractured, and then proceeded to snap it in<\/div>\n<div>half (which she apparently couldn\u2019t feel) to make it a clean break and then dressed it with the traditional leaves<\/div>\n<div>(kawakawarau) and a bandage. We couldn\u2019t look when he took the bandage off, it was too gruesome!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Another village claim-to-fame is that Nadroumai is home to international rugby player Waisake Naholo of the All<\/div>\n<div>Blacks. The group was fortunate enough to gather round at Naholo\u2019s family home one evening to watch Waisake<\/div>\n<div>during his Test start for the All Blacks vs. The Lions in the Second Test of the 2017 Lions Series. It was a real privilege for us all and a truly once-in-a-lifetime, only-in-Fiji experience! Some of the volunteers were even unsure whether they wanted The Lions or Waisake\u2019s All Blacks to win! We were all hugely grateful to the Naholo family for letting us cheer on Waisake and The Lions in their home, and to watch the game with rugby-mad Fijians was amazing! It\u2019s common knowledge in rugby circles that when Waisake broke his leg in 2015, he was told he\u2019d be sidelined for 3 months and miss the Rugby World Cup. Of course, he came back to Nadroumai village where he was treated by his uncle \u2013 the bone doctor. Using traditional healing methods, the doctor applied kawakawarau leaves to Naholo\u2019s leg for 4 days and when he removed the leaves the injury was said to be gone! Waisake was told that he wouldn\u2019t be able to compete at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, but lo and behold&#8230; he did!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>My impact as a volunteer:<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div>Watching the kids develop and get better in school was very rewarding. My first class was Year 6 which was great as<\/div>\n<div>they were all so well-behaved. It was sometimes difficult to know where to start as the things they were learning in<\/div>\n<div>class were quite advanced, yet when I gave them the same question in a slightly different way, they didn\u2019t know how<\/div>\n<div>to do it. So striping things back and trying to make fun individual games to help them learn was so fun, and they<\/div>\n<div>eventually began to grasp concepts and started to make their way back up \u2013 it\u2019s so fulfilling to witness that development.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>House Cup is always a blast! Our first week was jungle-themed Arts &amp; Crafts. My House (Blue House = the best)<\/div>\n<div>made a palm tree with materials that they collected from around the school grounds; sticks, leaves, flowers, and<\/div>\n<div>sand. They put it together so fast, it was very impressive! From there, they drew jungle animals and covered them in<\/div>\n<div>coloured sand and any other materials that they could find themselves. It was very messy but so fun to watch them<\/div>\n<div>being creative and having the best time.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The House Cup Singing Competition was by far my favourite; although there might have been some arguments over<\/div>\n<div>who got which song, it was so fun to make up a dance routine and see the kids learn the words and get to grips with the dance so fast. Fijians just seem to be good at everything! My Houses did \u2018Where You Are\u2019 from Moana and \u2018Hoe Down Throw Down\u2019 from Hannah Montana in the other school. Within both schools, some of the songs were amazing! \u2018I Wanna Be Like You\u2019 from The Jungle Book was definitely the crowd favourite.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Sports was definitely the best time of day, seeing all of the children getting so hyped up and enjoying every minute<\/div>\n<div>of it. Some of the schoolgirls got accepted into the provincial team for netball and rugby, and seeing this was such a<\/div>\n<div>highlight as they had worked so hard to get there. I had never played rugby before this trip, but I can now say that I<\/div>\n<div>am a huge fan thanks to Fijians infectious love of rugby &#8211; most conversations revolved around how either the All<\/div>\n<div>Blacks or the Lions had won. It becomes a reality at how good Fijians are at sport when we had to play matches<\/div>\n<div>against them and it was impossible to win.<\/div>\n<pre class=\"canvasWrapper\"><\/pre>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Overall, as the Project goes on it is obvious how much it supports the development of children, as their Maths and<\/div>\n<div>English skills improve significantly as well as their self-confidence and their enthusiasm towards school. It is<\/div>\n<div>rewarding to look back at the end of the project and witness how much the children have progressed.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>My Highlight:<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The whole project was such a blast that is difficult to find a moment that completely stood out; however, one of my<\/div>\n<div>favourite days was when we spent a whole Saturday in the village. It meant we got to spend the day completely experiencing village life; getting up at 6.30am to pick the lemon leaves, collecting the fire<\/div>\n<div>wood (which required more than one person per log as they were way too heavy), going to the farm, washing all the pots and clothes in the river and helping to cook. It made me feel very Fijian and meant that we got to spend more time with our families.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>What did I gain from the project?<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The entire project and overall experience has definitely changed my outlook in terms of the things that we usually<\/div>\n<div>take for granted in a \u2018Westernised\u2019 country; flushing toilets and the ability to take a warm shower, access to a variety<\/div>\n<div>of foods that can arrive in our fridges within a matter of minutes, or the fact that we have full access to a very good<\/div>\n<div>education and all the sports equipment we could ever need.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The project increased my confidence through teaching and provided me with many life skills such as patience, the<\/div>\n<div>ability to stay calm in situations, being organized, being able to deal with conflict and being able to motivate<\/div>\n<div>students to do their best \u2013 to name a few! This project has been one of the best experiences of my life and it is one that I am never going to forget.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Vinaka vakalevu,<\/div>\n<div>Rosie<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2745\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-450x253.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-450x253.jpg 450w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-70x40.jpg 70w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-170x96.jpg 170w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-270x152.jpg 270w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-570x320.jpg 570w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-670x376.jpg 670w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-870x489.jpg 870w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170702_124934-970x545.jpg 970w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2743\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-450x253.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-450x253.jpg 450w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-70x40.jpg 70w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-170x96.jpg 170w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-270x152.jpg 270w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-570x320.jpg 570w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-670x376.jpg 670w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-870x489.jpg 870w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/11\/20170705_052047-e1509817563699-970x545.jpg 970w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ROSIE\u2019S REFLECTIVE OF THINK PACIFIC PROJECT TO FIJI Joining a Traditional Fijian Village: Joining a Fijian village is probably one of the biggest culture shocks you will ever experience. The [&hellip;]","protected":false},"author":1417,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[270],"tags":[331,281],"class_list":["post-2736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-summer-programmes","tag-fiji","tag-summer"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4QQbz-I8","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4542,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/sienna-adderley\/","url_meta":{"origin":2736,"position":0},"title":"Sienna Adderley","author":"GO Student Ambassadors","date":"January 15, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"School of Journalism, Media and Culture Summer volunteering placement Where did you go? I volunteered in Fiji with the charity, Think Pacific. I volunteered in Verevere village in Ra province before leading a project the following summer in Muanaira in the province of Tailevu. What motivated you to take up\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;GO Student Ambassadors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"GO Student Ambassadors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/go-student-ambassadors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/01\/IMG_4918-e1578999410183.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/01\/IMG_4918-e1578999410183.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/01\/IMG_4918-e1578999410183.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/01\/IMG_4918-e1578999410183.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/01\/IMG_4918-e1578999410183.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/01\/IMG_4918-e1578999410183.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6160,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/meet-the-ambassador-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":2736,"position":1},"title":"Meet the ambassador &#8211; Lily &#8211; LAWPL, Fiji","author":"Global Opportunities Globetrotters","date":"October 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Name: Lily Jones School, Degree Programme: School of Law and Politics, Politics and International relations, Year 3 Host destination: Fiji \u00a0 \u00a0 Tell us about your global opportunity\u2014where did you go, and what did you do? This summer I was involved in a Youth Empowerment Project with Think Pacific that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;GO Student Ambassadors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"GO Student Ambassadors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/go-student-ambassadors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/10\/Lily-Jones-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/10\/Lily-Jones-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/10\/Lily-Jones-scaled.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/10\/Lily-Jones-scaled.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/10\/Lily-Jones-scaled.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/10\/Lily-Jones-scaled.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6315,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/a-summer-in-fiji\/","url_meta":{"origin":2736,"position":2},"title":"A Summer in Fiji","author":"Global Opportunities Globetrotters","date":"December 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Name Lily Jones Academic School School of Law and Politics Where did you go? Fiji, with Think Pacific What type of placement did you complete? Volunteering - summer programme What motivated you to take up a Global Opportunity?~ I have always had a desire and passion for travelling, I have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;GO Student Ambassadors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"GO Student Ambassadors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/go-student-ambassadors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/12\/IMG_1581_Lily-Jones-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/12\/IMG_1581_Lily-Jones-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/12\/IMG_1581_Lily-Jones-scaled.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/12\/IMG_1581_Lily-Jones-scaled.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/12\/IMG_1581_Lily-Jones-scaled.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/12\/IMG_1581_Lily-Jones-scaled.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3508,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/think-pacific-expedition-to-fiji\/","url_meta":{"origin":2736,"position":3},"title":"Think Pacific Expedition to Fiji","author":"Ellie Harradine","date":"August 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"My new home in Bavu village, Fiji Bula! When I applied to Think Pacific, for the chance to volunteer in Fiji, it didn\u2019t seem possible that I could actually be going. Fiji was an exotic, other worldly place, a paradise island half way across the world. When I received the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;International Summer Programmes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"International Summer Programmes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/summer-programmes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2018\/08\/P7190916-450x338.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4492,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/jeanne-de-lagarcie\/","url_meta":{"origin":2736,"position":4},"title":"Jeanne de Lagarcie","author":"GO Student Ambassadors","date":"January 15, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Cardiff Business School Summer volunteering placement Where did you go? I went to Fiji with Think Pacific to volunteer for a month, helping children with English literacy and numeracy on a 1-to-1 basis and also coaching sports. What motivated you to take up a Global Opportunity? Firstly, I believed that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;GO Student Ambassadors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"GO Student Ambassadors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/go-student-ambassadors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/01\/Jeanne4-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/01\/Jeanne4-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/01\/Jeanne4-150x150.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2685,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/developing-sports-for-think-pacific-in-fiji\/","url_meta":{"origin":2736,"position":5},"title":"Developing sports for Think Pacific in Fiji","author":"Daniel Ellesmere","date":"October 2, 2017","format":"image","excerpt":"Promoting and developing sport in\u00a0Fiji is a big part of Think Pacific's aims and has certainly played a big role in our project. From our first full day in the village the children have been involved in sporting activity for around an hour every weekday. With four groups of volunteers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;International Summer Programmes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"International Summer Programmes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/summer-programmes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/10\/Daniel-Sports-Coaching-450x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"meta_box":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1417"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2736"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2747,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2736\/revisions\/2747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}