Are you looking for a meaningful volunteer experience in paradise? Choose Fiji! You’ll get to give back and help worthwhile local causes including community, education, wildlife and conservation projects. Benefits include getting to live in spectacular settings, integrating with local people and getting to travel and see more of the islands in your free time.
Top Rated Opportunities
Volunteering Programs in Fiji
Working with indigenous Fijian communities provides the opportunity to become fully immersed in the lives and colourful culture of Fiji’s friendly, welcoming people.
Conservation Projects
The aim of conservation projects is to better understand the marine resources of the island, and to provide teaching and training to enable local communities to make informed decisions regarding the management of their coastal ecosystems.
To achieve this mission, we conduct scientific baseline data surveys and mapping, we identify patterns of resource use, and we work with local communities to build awareness of the value and vulnerability of their marine environment. We also locate turtle nesting beaches on Gau and create seasonally protected areas.
The marine research and conservation programme is run in association with the University of the South Pacific. The work aims to provide the local stakeholders, research organisations and government bodies with the information they need to design and implement management plans for the future protection of Gau’s island marine ecosystem and to provide assistance with hands- on environmental improvement work such as beach cleaning.
Threats to the coastal environment on and around Fiji are on the up as unregulated tourism is on the increase and the local population is growing. Increasing competition for food means that artisanal fishing techniques such as seine-netting become inadequate and inefficient, encouraging use of less discriminate catch practices. Other threats include the over-harvesting of shark fins, octopus and sea cucumbers and the over-collecting of shells and corals for the expanding marine curio trade.
Your project activities will depend on the time of year you join and the length of your stay but may include surveying mangroves, a vital buffer against elements such as tsunamis, and also documenting intertidal communities, an important part of the coastal ecosystem. If you are only able to join the project for 2 or 3 weeks your involvement in the research surveys will be limited but your contribution to the conservation work will still be valuable. You may even get to study the impact of artisanal fishing on the coral reefs, report the effects of Global Warming on marine communities or observe the impact of the marine-curio trade on endangered marine invertebrates.
You will also have the chance to get involved in our community work, perhaps by helping with environmental education days. By the end of your stay you should be able to identify a number of coloured and patterned reef fish, you will have made friends with the local villagers, especially the children, and have obtained an enviable tan. The work is intense and challenging and you’ll get immense satisfaction from having survived your beach camping experience and from having made a valuable contribution to the conservation of this untarnished marine wilderness. You will return home with the new friends you’ve made and a wealth of incredible photos, videos and memories.
You’ll find your team to be a fun, dynamic mix of ages and experiences, with members who all share a passion about travelling in developing countries and saving endangered life. Your staff will be young, friendly individuals who are highly experienced in their field and many have volunteered on a project earlier in their career.
Sports Coaching
Fully integrated into the life of the school or sports academy, you will work with a range of ages for up to five days a week, mornings and afternoons. Your evenings will be free to enjoy as you wish. During your working day, you will work with primary and secondary school age children (5-16), organising a variety of sporting activities.
During your placement, you may find yourself coaching hockey, football, rugby, netball, volleyball, swimming and a whole host of other sports. With extra curricular activities often taking the back burner to other subjects such as English and maths, you will inject much needed enthusiasm and creativity into the children’s lives. You will be much more than a coach to them and will be both their mentor and friend. Whilst working on this project, you are encouraged to be creative and bring your own unique skills and personality to enliven and enrich the experience of the kids in your care.
Medical Project
This is a fantastic opportunity for medical practitioners, qualified doctors and final year medical students to develop your hands on experience in the healthcare field and learn about the running of community hospitals and medical clinics in Fiji.
As a medical volunteer you will spend your time undertaking a variety of different medical tasks working with medical and healthcare professionals from local Fijian medical organisations and charities. The placement is tailor made for you and will reflect your previous work experience, interests and skills while taking into account the changing needs and priorities of the healthcare agencies to which you are attached.
If you are assigned to a local Non Governmental Organisation or health care charity you could be shadowing doctors, nurses or other healthcare workers as they go about delivering services in a local health clinic. You may be also be assisting with medical screening programmes, raising local awareness and recording vital signs. You may find you are delivering first aid and safety training to local community groups, providing support and home care to disabled or elderly patients, assisting with administration, filing, report writing or editing, or working on HIV/AIDS awareness outreach programmes.
Wherever you end up you will be offered a warm Fijian style welcome by your new colleagues who will be keen to greet enthusiastic and eager volunteers. You will be warmly embraced and then rushed off your feet! The key to your success will depend on how much you are willing to contribute and how hard you are able to work. With an open mind and flexible attitude you will enjoy an experience to remember, make friends for life, and gain valuable work experience on important health related programmes.
All placements are dependent upon the submission of an up-to-date CV and proof of medical qualifications and medical work experience.This is a fantastic opportunity for medical practitioners, qualified doctors and final year medical students to develop your hands on experience in the healthcare field and learn about the running of community hospitals and medical clinics in Fiji.
As a medical volunteer you will spend your time undertaking a variety of different medical tasks working with medical and healthcare professionals from local Fijian medical organisations and charities. The placement is tailor made for you and will reflect your previous work experience, interests and skills while taking into account the changing needs and priorities of the healthcare agencies to which you are attached.
If you are assigned to a local Non Governmental Organisation or health care charity you could be shadowing doctors, nurses or other healthcare workers as they go about delivering services in a local health clinic. You may be also be assisting with medical screening programmes, raising local awareness and recording vital signs. You may find you are delivering first aid and safety training to local community groups, providing support and home care to disabled or elderly patients, assisting with administration, filing, report writing or editing, or working on HIV/AIDS awareness outreach programmes.
Healthcare Programs
Fiji’s socio-economic demographic is changing fast. It is clear that the healthcare industry needs to change with it, and have a clear plan to address the negative effects of urbanisation and modernisation. At the same time the cost of healthcare and medical treatment is becoming increasingly expensive and is often unaffordable by the wider community where dietary problems are widespread and the most vulnerable suffer as a consequence.
It is the young and the old who lack access to appropriate medical attention and support programs. Even the few patients who can afford to go to hospitals find the overcrowded system only addresses the symptoms of the disease through reactive drug treatment, and is unable to provide comprehensive care and advice to tackle the cause of the illness within the community.
The Healthcare Project has highlighted education, training & research as the key priorities for charting population health issues in Fiji. By engaging a community health outreach development unit this local healthcare NGO is spearheading awareness campaigns by way of focus group counselling and health team visits to the rural and urban communities. Key to this has been the education of disease prevention and mitigation, the importance of care and aftercare, disaster preparedness and the protection of children and the elderly, specifically aimed at promoting positive changes to existing public healthcare policies.
Fiji has a growing poverty situation and the effects of population movement have led to increased demand on the health sector to cater for emerging disease in children, mothers and the elderly. The net result is that the people’s lifestyles have changed drastically over the last three decades and lack of awareness of the pressures of living in cities with widening boundaries, coupled with a lack of medi-care insurance programmes for all. To make matters worse there is currently no existing programme to address population health issues and the Government is not in a position to invest in this area due to economic pressures, however healthcare issues cannot be neglected or remain outside of national focus due to other development priorities. The work of this project looks to lead by example with a range of positive healthcare initiatives and outreach projects to bring about this change.
This is a fantastic opportunity for pre-med volunteers and individuals who are interested in forging a career within the healthcare field to learn about the running of a local healthcare and community NGO in Fiji. Volunteers’ activities will depend on their qualifications and experience but there is something for all healthcare devotees on this exciting project. With all placements we will endeavour to accommodate your own previous work experience, interests and skills while taking into account the changing needs and priorities of the healthcare organisation to which you are attached.
You may find yourself working, assisting or observing in various departments within the clinic, this could include helping with the education and training of wellness officers, health and disease screening, raising health and nutrition awareness through talks and presentations, or taking part in local community outreach services. You may find you are also assisting with the general administration of the clinic, including database development and marketing activities via social media and web maintenance. Depending on your individual skills and experience tasks can also include report writing and editing, and research assistance either in the field or laboratory. Volunteers are asked to remain flexible and use their initiative in order to get the most out of this placement.
You may have the opportunity to integrate within the wider community by providing mobile care, teaching and training at local schools and villages, however please be aware that this aspect of the project cannot be guaranteed and is dependent upon the needs of the project at the time of your visit. This dimension to your work would focus on the nutrition and health awareness goals of the project.
For more experienced individuals (medical practitioners, qualified doctors and final year medical students) with determination, enthusiasm, aptitude and the right inclination may be able to assist the doctors and nurses at the clinic in their duties and gain hands-on experience of administering healthcare to the Fijian people.
Medical placement working hours can vary immensely. This can include making outreach calls and providing services in the evenings and on weekends. The key to your success will depend on how much you are willing to contribute and how hard you are able to work. Wherever you end up you will be offered a warm Fijian style welcome by your new colleagues who will be keen to greet enthusiastic and eager volunteers. You will be warmly embraced and then fully occupied with a range of duties. With an open mind and flexible attitude you will enjoy an experience to remember, make friends for life, and gain valuable work experience on important health related programmes.
FAQ
What Happens When I Arrive?
Upon arrival you will either be met at the airport if you are arriving on the first Monday of the month, or you will make your own way from Nadi International Airport to the capital Suva. You can take the frequent bus service for this four hour trip across Viti Levu. Upon arrival in Suva you’ll be met by your project host and escorted to your new home.
Where Will I Be Staying?
Your home in Fiji will be a comfortable and welcoming homestay with an hospitable Fijian family or, if you choose to upgrade, in a simple and comfortable lodge near the centre of Suva, where you will be in a single sex dorm with access to a kitchen, hot showers, wi-fi connection, TV, bar, garden, sun deck, laundry service, linen and towels, (an extra cost of £60 a week applies for lodge accommodation) . From here it will take you half an hour to get to your project in the mornings travelling by local bus.
What Will I Be Eating?
If you are in the lodge you’ll be provided with breakfast and an allowance to purchase and prepare your own meals using fresh, locally available ingredients, or alternatively you may be able to sample Fijian home-cooked meals for an additional contribution. If you are in a homestay you will be offered two or three delicious meals a day during your stay. So look forward to enjoying a variety of tantalising local dishes including taro, breadfruit, sweet potato, cassava, and cassava chips, coconut and fabulous shellfish and seafood. A delicious Fijian speciality is a lovo feast, which is a meal cooked in a hole in the ground – unusual but very tasty!
How Will I Get To Work?
Transport from your accommodation to your placement each day will be by local bus, taxi or bicycle (cost not included).
Activities
Organisations will ensure that your volunteer trip will be an unforgettable journey filled with exceptional experiences, local encounters and life-long memories. You will experience the communal harmony among locals, strong religious beliefs and the traditional customs and values associated with living in a local Fijian village. By the end of your expedition you will of developed a great, first hand understanding of Fijian life through undertaking local practices and engaging with ‘real’ people at the heart of the community. The island of Viti Levu, where most programs are based, is great for exploring. There will be opportunities for trekking in the dramatic highland interior, remote villages, and cascading waterfalls, as well visiting the picture perfect Mamanuca islands.