Fiji: My adventure of a lifetime with ProjectsAbroad!

I really had the time of my life in Fiji! From the pick up at the airport to the very end of my 1 month stay Projects Abroad did an awesome Job! Airport pick up was punctual and well organised and the driver was very nice already introducing me to the new country, it's culture and vegetation. It wasreally great to have someone there waiting for you when you arrive at the Airport after a very long journey to the other side of the world. The host family was also very kind and caring. My host mum made sure you would never leave with an empty stomach and the house was very clean indeed! As for the Projects Abroad Staff, they too were awesome. They are young, dynamic and very engaged, always ready to help even at the strangest of hours and also love to talk about their country and help you to understand their culture and customs. Induction day is also not to be missed giving you a concise but extremely helpful overview of the city, key amenities, rules in your host family, your placement and role.

I was lucky enough to help run the holiday School, which was indeed much more enjoyable than the normal teaching placement in the Primary School. I was able to take over a whole class of 10-20 Y6-8 pupils, giving me the unique opportunity not only to plan two whole weeks of lessons but also to really get to know the kids and take over some real responsibility. The placement also allowed me to teach a variety of lessons ranging from maths to arts & crafts as well as sports. Each day was also given a theme such as "Nature Day" allowing us to introduce fun and diverse activities that took learning beyond the classroom. The two weeks of holiday school were really the most rewarding experience ever! I grew to love the kids like brothers and sisters, despite the chaos and various disciplinary problems, and the graduation at the end of the two weeks was really emotional. All in all, the experience was amazing!

The normal placement in contrast was however a little disappointing as there were no clear tasks for the volunteer and little communication leaving you to feel a little useless at times.

Overall however the Project was very well organised although it was a little expensive.