Health and Wellbeing in Fiji

The contraceptive pill is widely used by many women and is low risk for your trip to Fiji. There are a couple of things to consider if you are using contraception in Fiji, if concerned about anything please contact your doctor. 

Things to consider include:

• Oral contraceptives should be taken at the same time each day. Remember to consider when to take your medication as you’ll be crossing  time zones during travel!
• Some pills can increase your risk of developing deep-vein thrombosis (DVT or blood clot) during any travel which is over 4 hours in duration.  You can reduce your risk of this during travel by exercising during your journey and using anti-embolism stockings.
• Most types of antibiotics don’t affect contraception. The antibiotics rifampicin and rifabutin can affect the oral contraceptive pill and reduce the protection from it. If you have to take any antibiotics in Fiji, double check this with the doctor prescribing them. 
• Experiencing vomiting and/or severe diarrhoea (having at least 6 to 8 episodes of loose or watery stools (poo) over 24 hours) may interfere with the absorption of your contraceptive pill. Advice on what to do varies depending on the type of pill that you take, please refer to the package insert leaflet for specific instructions for your brand of COCP.

Mild asthma is a common condition we see amongst our volunteers. Generally if you are able to self manage asthma and haven’t experienced serious attacks then there is no reason why the project should be much different. 

Things to consider include:

• Air travel is generally safe, even for people with medical conditions, so if your asthma is well managed you should have no problems when you’re flying. If you are irritated by recirculated air, or sensitive to perfumes, think about steps you can do to reduce the impact of this on your flight.
• Weather, pollen and altitudes in new locations can affect your asthma symptoms differently –  think about steps you can do to reduce the impact if your symptoms worsen on a project. 
• Projects are moderately physically demanding, you will be living in a Fijian village spending time outside, playing sports, partaking in physical excursions during weekends…and all this in more heat and humidity than you are probably used to! If you feel any of these activities may trigger your asthma then just highlight this with your leader so you can reduce the amount of physical exertion you involve yourself in!
• Before travelling anywhere, visit your GP or Asthma Nurse for an asthma health check. This is important when flying due to reduced oxygen levels at high altitudes. You can also request an Asthma Action plan to make sure those around you know what to do in case of an Asthma attack.
• Ensure you have back up inhalers/medication in case you lose your inhaler as your prescription may not be available in Fiji. 

Severe Asthma – If you have more severe asthma, where you are prone to frequent or severe asthma attacks & where symptoms are harder to control then we will need to have a health call to discuss this in more detail. Please inform your project coordinator so they can advise you on next steps! 

Things to consider include:

• In addition to those with mild asthma, if you have severe asthma attacks that might require medical intervention please raise this with your project coordinator and have a chat with your GP to assess whether it is safe for you to partake in one of our projects. This is because they are based in remote areas where limited, or no, tertiary medical facilities exist. Therefore, our projects are intended for people in reasonably good health without potential underlying life threatening illnesses that may require urgent medical attention. If you were to require urgent medical attention, depending on location it could be between 4 -12 hours for us to get participants to a hospital.

Many people with migraines experience attacks when they travel as it can involve a number of migraine triggers including stress, routine change, environmental changes and dehydration. 

Things to consider include:

• Stress is a very common migraine trigger and is often present when we travel. If travelling makes you feel tense you may feel a migraine attack coming on during the journey or once you’ve arrived. Equally, adjusting to a new environment and meeting lots of new faces can be stressful so if you need extra support during this adjustment please let your leaders know. If stress is a trigger for you and you feel stressed when you travel, trying relaxation techniques could help you. 
• We know the migraine brain doesn’t like change – you may find changes to your usual routine, whether it’s disturbed sleep or a skipped meal, can trigger a migraine. If you can, planning your journey for the daytime might help as very early starts, late nights or travelling during the night may help. It’s also important to make sure you drink plenty of water and eat regularly. If you’re travelling into a new time zone and it changes your meal times significantly, carry some healthy snacks with you. Keep your rescue medication to hand so that if you do feel a migraine attack coming on, you can treat it quickly.
• Changes in atmospheric pressure caused by weather changes can trigger migraines, so if Fiji has drastically different weather from where you started, you may be more likely to get a migraine. Additionally, air pressure on aeroplanes may trigger migraine in some people. Dehydration is also common in Fiji and when travelling so make sure you have a bottle of water to hand and drink regularly. Also be sure to have your medication in your cabin bag!

Ex-volunteers with dyslexia haven’t reported any major dyslexia related challenges they’ve encountered on a project. However, this is a completely personal matter and we wanted to note down a couple of things to consider if you do have dyslexia. 

Things to consider include:

• Misreading forms for advance bookings can be more common if you are dyslexic, be sure to triple check your forms, bookings and details – or ask a loved one to assist you!
• Sometimes people with dyslexia can find travelling daunting, especially in unfamiliar places. Sometimes reading timetables, schedule numbers and active screens can be more difficult if you are dyslexic. Fortunately, on our projects you will always have the support of your team and leaders for any travel and transport, however you may wish to take some additional steps when planning your journey to Fiji to make your life that much easier. Some ideas include:
  • Write down as much information as possible ahead of your journey (stopovers, wait times, documents needed, whether transit visas are needed on your route (e.g. USA you need an ESTA), google whether you have to change terminals at the airport when changing flight!
  • Leaving longer waits at airports where possible may help. 
  • Don’t be shy about asking for help along the way!
  • It might be worth seeing if you can find travel buddy on your project so you can fly with another person or group (please note this is down to you to organise when we introduce you to your fellow volunteers – Think Pacific will not coordinate flights)
• • Difficulty with short-term memory is another thing people with dyslexia may encounter, so verbal instructions could be quickly forgotten. If you are finding the workshops or activities during your project hard to follow, let your leaders know so they can support you.

Hay fever is a common allergic condition to pollen which is very common. Most people are able to relieve symptoms with treatment, including antihistamines, which can help to prevent an allergic reaction from occurring and corticosteroids (steroids), which help to reduce inflammation and swelling.

Things to consider include:

• Please be aware that it ‘s very difficult to avoid pollen, especially in rural Fiji where you’ll spend most of your time outdoors. There may be unfamiliar species of flora and fauna that trigger your hay fever so please come prepared with additional medication if you do suffer with hay fever. 
• Your normal prescriptions may not be available in Fiji so ensure you have back ups.
• Please see the section on allergies for more general advice on allergies.

The severity of an allergy will depend on the individual. Mild allergies are ones which can be:

• • Self managed with/without medication 
  • Mild allergic reactions do not induce anaphylaxis .
  • Mild allergic reactions have never resulted in hospitalisation or urgent medical treatment.

If you are someone with a mild allergy (as described above) these are often self-managed successfully on project. Please note if you have a more serious allergy e.g. if you are an EpiPen user, someone who experiences allergic reactions that could result in anaphylaxis or hospitalisation then it is vital you inform your project coordinator as soon as possible so we can discuss your allergies and how we may be able to support you in more detail. 

Things to consider include:

• Communication – Firstly, it is important that airline staff are informed of a food allergy at every opportunity. This is particularly important when checking in at the airport, boarding the flight and every time a snack or meal is offered (as it may be by a different person).
  • In Fiji you may find that language can be a barrier to communicating your allergies. Although most people speak English, the levels of understanding will vary depending on your location. We brief families and resorts with the information you provide us with, however, as you will be well aware, communication is essential to safely manage an allergy. It is important to continue taking responsibility for your own needs by sharing information on your allergy in a clear and consistent way in Fiji. Although we forewarn your family and resort to your allergy, you can never be too careful in ensuring your own safety, so be sure to be vigilant. 
  • You may find in Fiji that people’s knowledge of allergies will vary. Some people may have very little understanding and may need further explanations of what this means for the person with food allergy. Ask your leaders for help if necessary!
  • Translation Cards are a useful way of communicating food allergy(s) in another language and are useful for travel and when eating out whilst on holiday. You can request translation cards from us. Please utilise these if they are relevant to you! 
  • Additionally we have Fijian leaders in every team so they can support you in the delivery of information if you do encounter a language barrier. 
• Diet – You may wish to have a chat with a member of the team if you have food allergies – what will the availability of foods suitable for people with certain allergies be? Whilst we can make adjustments for many different dietary requirements, due to projects being in a homestay in a rural community, alternatives for individuals with restrictive diets could be limited. 
• Medication – Check the expiry date of your medication well before you intend to travel, this enables time to get prescriptions renewed or stock up on allergy medication. Consider the length of your trip and how far from medical help you may be which can help when planning on how much medication to take. 
• Medical Access – Think Pacific projects are based in remote areas where limited, or no, tertiary medical facilities exist. It is important to consider that it could take between 4 -12 hours for us to get participants to a hospital. Therefore, our projects are intended for people in reasonably good health without potential underlying life threatening illnesses/allergies that may require urgent medical attention e.g. Anaphylaxis. 

• • Allergy action plans (written emergency treatment plan) are recommended. These plans are a useful reminder of allergic signs and symptoms, and which medications need to be taken in the case of an allergic reaction. Discuss these with your doctor. 
  • Ensure you are transparent with your travel insurance about your allergies to ensure the right plan can be provided so you are covered for any allergy related illness.

Some people may be prone to getting blocked ears, excessive earwax, other discomforts and sometimes have difficulty hearing. If your symptoms are mild then this should be manageable on project, if symptoms are more severe and you may require additional support please let us know so we can organise a chat. 

Things to consider include:

• • Aeroplane ear is a phenomenon that many people experience when flying. Ears can feel blocked or painful when travelling via air due to pressure changes. If you have pre-existing ear issues then this is something that you should consider ahead of flying – the journey to Fiji can be a long one depending on your country of origin! 
  • Swimming more than usual in pools or the sea can increase risk of ear infections. Although you’ll spend most of your time in the village, at your briefing & R&R you may have a pool. If you are prone to infections then it may be best to avoid putting your head underwater. This is because wax in the ear can prevent the natural drainage of water from the ear canal, and the warm, moist conditions of the ear canal combined with the wax are ideal conditions for bacteria to grow. You may even wish to go a step further and have your ears checked to make sure they are wax free ahead of departing for Fiji …or just use swim plugs!
  • Projects are very socially interactive – from time with other participants, to your family to village members. If you have mild difficulties hearing that affect your communication it is important to discuss this with us pre-departure but also to communicate with your leaders and others if you have any particular challenges so we can support you, and ensure you are able to engage fully with the project! 

Skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis may flare up more than usual in a tropical climate, you may find you are sweating more in the heat and humidity which might irritate your skin, but equally some people find the increase in fresh air and sunshine beneficial for their skin! It will be hard for you to know how your skin might respond to Fiji’s climate. 

Things to consider include:

• • Ensure you have sun cream, insect repellant, moisturisers, shower gels and shampoos whilst away that suits your skin. It is best to stick to your usual products and try to avoid new skincare products. 
  • Washing powers will be different in Fiji, you may wish to bring something from home to wash your clothes in the village if you are particularly sensitive. 
  • Consider the type of clothing that may be best whilst you are away. Breathable, natural fabrics like cotton and linen are much kinder to the skin than synthetic materials, especially in hot climates. Long sleeves and long trousers are also a good idea when travelling in areas where insect bites and mosquitoes thrive. 
  • Drink plenty of water, in Fiji’s tropical climate it is easy to become dehydrated as you need to drink more than usual –  and skin conditions are made worse when the skin is dry!
  • If you are concerned, speak to your doctor about steps you can take or solutions/medications you can bring if you do experience more skin irritation than usual. Be sure to raise this with your leaders. 
  • If you do encounter a skin flare up it is extremely important to avoid itching it and breaking your skin. In a Fijian village any open wounds can become easily infected – we have had previous volunteers get infected rashes from scratching so think about how you will avoid this. If you do break the skin on a rash, clean it regularly and keep it covered until the skin has healed.

Ex-volunteers who have ADHD haven’t reflected that their project was more or less challenging than those who do not have ADHD.

Things to consider: 

• Bringing a watch with the ability to have an alarm. We have found that setting an alarm for activities can be useful.
• Using a notebook, you will have a morning briefing every day whilst in the village. At this time leaders will communicate the plans for the day including; timings, locations, kit you need to bring and what you are doing. Writing this down in a notebook can be very useful to refer back to throughout the day.
• When you are in the village most elements of your normal day-to-day life will be different. Trying to follow a routine whilst in the Village, if this is a night time routine and wind down or something that you do in the morning such as meditation, ensuring that you carve out time to do these things can help alleviate symptoms.

Previous physical injures can flare whilst travelling and spending time in new environments and project life is no different. We understand that projects are physically demanding and over communication within all steps of project is important.

Previous injuries could include:

• Concussion
• Sprains
• Breaks
• Operations that could limit movement

Travelling to Fiji for many of us, includes a series of long haul flights. Please see the tips below on how you can support yourself during this time.

• Staying hydrated
• Compression socks
• Wear loose clothing
• Stretching

Spending time in a Fijian Community is a once in a lifetime opportunity, if at any point you feel that you need to discuss your previous injury please raise this in your weekly PPP (Personal Project Planning) session with your leaders. Old injuries can easily become aggravated due to the nature of project; sitting on the floor for prolonger periods of time being the main aspect that previous volunteers have highlighted.

Food and meal times in Fiji is a large part of village life. The sharing and communal nature of meal times is one that volunteers reflect is a brilliant and memorable aspect of project and village life.

If you have an allergy or intolerance, as Think Pacific we will have briefed the Community as a whole but we will reinforce this information with your family within an individual conversation.

Sharing meals with other volunteers is an aspect of project life that you will experience and is a lovely way to meet other members of the community. With our knowledge and background of spending time in Fijian Villages, for those with dietary requirements, depending on severity and type, it is often easier for all involved to invite others to your home. This is to ensure that you know the food you are eating is prepared by your family and safe for you to eat.

The severity of an allergy will depend on the individual. Severe allergies are ones which:

• Can result in potential loss of life 
• Require the use of an Epi-Pen 
• Include the swelling of airways 

If you have an allergy that is classified as ‘severe’, please contact you Program Coordinator (team member that has been supporting you with your application) to book in a health call. 

The health process: 

1. Volunteer informs Think Pacific staff team surrounding allergy. 
2. Health Call, with our Health Team to gather more information surrounding your allergy. 
3. Health Team pass your information over to our In-country teams who will process and start the conversations with the team. 

Those with Coeliac Disease are unable to eat gluten in any form.

Coeliac disease can be different levels of severity, please ensure that you have completed the medical form to inform Think Pacific on the severity for you as an individual.

1. Traces of gluten
2. Cross-contamination
3. Being in the same vicinity of gluten (generally this includes raw versions of the gluten, e.g. bags of flour).

Think Pacific will pass this information over to our Community Preparation team in Fiji, and they will follow the structure as outlined above.

Intolerances to foods are classified when either the body can’t properly digest the food that is eaten, or that a particular food might irritate the digestive system.

Food intolerances are something which Think Pacific has been supporting volunteers with since 2009. The most common intolerances are; Gluten and Dairy. However, there are many more that can affect people. If you have a food intolerance, please:

1. Ensure that you have made a note of this on your booking form and again when you submit your pre-departure form ahead of your project start date.
2. Complete the Allergy Form linked on this page and return to your Program Coordinator who will then pass this over to the Community Preparation team in Fiji.

If you have a dietary preference that you wish to follow when on project, please ensure that you have referenced this to your Program Coordinator. If you did not put down your dietary preference on your booking form, please ensure that you add this to your pre-departure form which is completed 8-weeks ahead of the project start date.

Dietary preferences include but are not exclusive to:

• Vegetarian
• Vegan
• Pescatarian
• Halal

If there are specific foods that you choose to not eat due to preference, please communicate this with your family when you are on project.

During your time in Fiji, you will be surrounded by people helping and encouraging you through the highs and lows – from your team-mates, to your Fijian family, to your Project Leaders. Your leaders in particular are there to facilitate your project and experience, and are available 24/7 for any physical, mental and emotional support that you may need. When we say 24/7, we really mean it! Our leaders are chosen because we have every faith in their ability to support and guide you through your project, and they will be with your team every step of the way.

As you know, Think Pacific projects are challenging and you are undoubtedly going to have tough moments – which could affect ​anyone’s ​mental health or wellbeing. Try to communicate this with your leaders if you can. You wouldn’t hesitate to talk to them about your physical health if you were having an issue, so try to treat your mental health exactly the same. Remember the old phrase, ​a problem shared is a problem halved,​ sometimes you might feel better from simply opening up.

If, for any reason, you experience ill health on project then your leaders are the first port of call. This is any​ sort of ill health – both physical and mental. It is not uncommon for these situations to arise, and hence the standard Think Pacific ill health process is as follows…

1. Make your leaders aware of what you are experiencing when concerns first arise
2. Leaders will offer any pastoral support that they are comfortable with.
3. Your leadership team will fill in a medical diary documenting the occurrence and discuss withyou the next steps that you and they are happy to take
4. Whilst in the project environment a 48 hour review period will begin, in which you and your leaders will closely monitor how your health progresses.
5. If ill health continues or worsens, you and your leadership team will discuss the next steps to betaken. This will most likely be removal from the project environment for 48 hours to receive any professional medical treatment needed and/or time to recover outside of the village

IF AT ANY STAGE​ ​you wish to see a Nurse, Doctor or medical professional please make your leaders aware, and they will help you receive this treatment as soon as possible. Please remember that although your leaders are with you to support and assist your project and are first-aid trained they are ​not​, however,​ ​medical professionals.

Our aim at Think Pacific is to make mental health and wellbeing something that we talk about just as much as any aspect of our physical health. However, we appreciate that everyone is different, and some people might not feel as comfortable talking about mental health and wellbeing as others. Because of this, we try to make having an open environment something that is part of the very essence of your Think Pacific journey. Our aim is for everyone’s mental health and wellbeing to be something that is constantly upheld, regardless of whether ill mental health is something you have experienced previously or not!

Aim:​ ​openness and honesty in disclosing any past or current personal (mental) health struggles.​ ​Think Pacific projects are challenging and not suited to everyone. That is why we talk just as much about the challenges of your project as we do the good stuff! We aim to open up the conversation about mental health and wellbeing from the start of the process, if anything is highlighted on your application form.

1. Health Forms & Doctors notes: ​if any experience of ill mental health is raised on either someone’s application or booking form, you will be asked to fill in a health form so that we have the information we need to know how to best support you. You may also be asked to get a note from your Doctor if you have been recently treated for any condition or on any medication.
2. Program Coordinators:​ ​your Program Coordinator (as well as anyone else at TP UK!) will be your point of contact up until you head out to Fiji. They will discuss any health difficulties that you may have and discuss the ways in which this will be assisted during your time in Fiji.

Aim: to increase awareness around how your mental health & wellbeing could be affected but on project, and that it’s OK to not be OK! W​hen you first get into Fiji it can be a little overwhelming, and so we hope to make your transition from your home to Fiji, and then into your village as smooth as possible. Preparing you for the challenges of project is the best way to do this, and during your briefing mental health and wellbeing will be woven into your preparations.

1. Briefing workshops: ​during your briefing, a health discussion will be facilitated, during which you will learn about common health problems that can occur, how these will be dealt with, and maintenance of personal wellbeing at a wider level. This will encompass mental health, with the aim to make the whole team aware that it’s OK to not be OK, and what support will be in place.
2. One-to-one leader chats:​ a​s a​ ​further part of briefing you will learn which of your leaders will be your PPP. The leadership team will be allocated certain individuals from the team, who they will be doing weekly Personal Project Plans with during project for every team member. If any of these individuals on the team have previously highlighted having experienced ill mental health then they will approach them for a brief one-on-one chat to just check in on how they are feeling and reiterating the support in place for the individual.

Aim: to maintain and support the mental health and wellbeing of all team members. Y​our time during your Think Pacific project will be a once in a lifetime experience that you’ll never forget. However, everyone will inevitably experience highs and lows during their time in Fiji due to the challenging nature of the projects. Each day, your leadership team will aim to give time to both the team and the individual team members to voice any issues and get the assistance and encouragement they might need.

1. Health Clinics: ​Every morning, one of your leaders will run a health clinic in a specified location. Anyone from the team can come along for ​any t​ype of health assistance they may need.
2. Briefs & Debriefs: ​The leadership team will facilitate daily briefings (in the morning) and debriefs (in the afternoon after school finishes). This gives your team a time everyday to prepare for and subsequently reflect on the day, gain feedback, and raise any issues that might have been encountered.
3. Personal Project Plan (PPPs): ​On Sundays the leadership team will hold PPPs with their allocated members of the team. This gives you the time to check in with your leader on how the week has been, anything that you might have been hesitating to come to them with, and generally how you are getting on! Try not to feel shy during these chats, as they are there to make sure every single person in the team is taken care of mutually. Nevertheless, if there is something you ever wish to discuss with your leaders – don’t feel like you have to wait until a Sunday!

Aim: to finish the project on a high, and continue Think Pacific’s individual support to the highest standard.

After the amazing experience ofyour project comes to an end, you will go through the emotional rollercoaster of leaving your village and returning to the wider world. Towards the end of your time, we aim to make this transition as smooth as possible.

1. R&R:​ ​While you celebrate everything that you have achieved as a team, your leaders will still be on hand to help support you in anyway. Difficulties can still arise – even at a resort – and they will be there to keep you out of trouble!
2. Project Feedback: ​At Think Pacific we constantly strive to improve in any way that we can, and we gain invaluable feedback from each of our teams at the end of your project. If there is any way that we can support you in a more comprehensive manner, then let us know! That way we can implement your ideas in the future.