Tell us about your experience on this programme
This week I came back home to Auckland from the most transformative, inspiring and touching experience of my life.
Through The University of Auckland, I had the opportunity to go overseas to Fiji and take part in the Youth Empowerment Volunteer Project with Think Pacific. When I say this is the best opportunity I have ever taken, I don’t mean it lightly. This trip changed the way I form connections, my values and my approach to life going forward.
In this project we were placed in a remote village in Fiji to work directly with the village youths and facilitate discussions on topics such as Public Health, Mental Health, Leadership, Business and Enterprise, Sports Development, and Climate Change. During our 16-day project, the village took us under their wing and we were adopted by our Fijian families; calling them mum and dad (na and ta in Fijian). They shared with us their culture, histories, traditions and way of life while caring for us as if we were their own children.
There were definitely challenges during the project, but the most important thing was to stay positive and continue to have an open-mind. The main challenge was sickness, most volunteers during the trip got very ill, which was to be expected with changes in water and diet, and at one point I had to take a trip to the hospital for dehydration. There were times that I became very upset, but the support framework from ThinkPacific, my team of volunteers as well as my Fijian family really helped me get through it and stay positive.
Before this project I never knew it was possible to make such meaningful connections with so many people in such a short amount of time. I now know I have a second family in Fiji and I am so grateful to have had this life changing experience. I would recommend this trip for anyone who has an open mind and is looking for something ‘more’ from life. I definitely know I found it.
Were you satisfied with the cross-cultural experiences this programme provided?
Definitely. This program completely changed my cultural perceptions. I remember saying to some of the villagers while I was there, “I never knew I was lonely until I came to to Daku and felt the love and connection you all share together here.” They weren’t surprised, they just responded, “That’s how Daku feels.”
I’ve studied the difference in individualist and collectivist cultures while studying at university but living and experiencing the difference in the two I found incredibly jarring. While in the village we were literally adopted, for a short time of two weeks. In reality they barely knew us, but you could feel the love and care they had for you. I have family that I am not as close to as my Fijian family.
What skills do you think this experience helped you gain, and how so? How might this differ from the experience you could otherwise gain in New Zealand?
The skills from this project were much more emotionally developed rather than intellectually. The experience taught me how to build better connections, how to embrace a new way of life, how to respect traditional customs and practices, as well as much more. It overall changed my values which is really the foundation for all skills I think. I never could have had this experience in New Zealand.
Did you encounter any particular challenges in preparing for or during this programme that might be important for future students to be aware of?
Not particularly. As mentioned, there were troubles with sickness but I think the best way to deal with that is to just embrace it, ride the wave and stay positive as there’s not much to do in the way of prevention. The team were incredibly supportive.
The first few days of project were quite challenging, being in a new home and new family, with a language barrier and such strong cultural differences. We were all so scared of offending them as in the village it is quite conservative. After that beginning though, most of us settled in really well.
You rated this experience as one you were “highly likely to recommend” to a friend. What gives you the confidence to do so?
It was the best experience of my life.
