Community Build Project - Aims & Initiatives

The Purpose of the Build Project

Hear from Harry, Co-founder of Think Pacific, as he explains about the origins and the purpose of the build project:

#1 – The Build Itself

Your project facilitates and funds the construction of requested infrastructure for a rural community from the Fijian Government. These projects act as outreach opportunities for communities which have demand for nursing stations and health centres through requests from the Ministry of Health to expand the provision of medical care and increase the capacity of the local nurses and health teams. Once constructed, the building acts as a place of work for the community health worker and a vendor for health supplies delivered by the Ministry of Health for the community and surrounding region.

#2 – The Training

The firm aim is that the building itself is a product of a training. Each Think Pacific build project has a Build Manager employed to oversee the construction, to guide you as a team through the construction itself and also to train local youths who are participating.

Prior to you entering a village, x5 youth members of the community are selected to be up-skilled in carpentry under the guidance of the build manager, they not only gain skills and knowledge in a valuable space for themselves and the community but they also receive qualifications, furthering employment opportunities and expanding their experience.

#3 – Funding

Any Think Pacific project acts as a fundraising initiative, and aside from the immediate funds that are going into the project itself, further funds are allocated to further community development, future training initiatives within rural communities and continued investment into youth groups through monitoring and evaluation efforts.

Think Pacific has been delivering building projects for the Fijian Government Since 2009.

In the past decade, our volunteer teams have complete 70+ building projects. Each project adheres to our highest standards of due diligence, community collaboration, youth training & responsible volunteering.

All building projects are led by the Fijian Ministry of Health, who highlight locations and work in collaboration with rural communities and health workers to plan and evaluate each project. This ensures the project is genuinely needed and can be assessed and monitored at community and national level. Each build contributes to the Fiji National Development Plan and the ‘Towards a Healthy Fiji Islands’ initiative. These Government policies work towards the outcome of creating ‘healthy communities living in healthy environments’.

Alongside our partners at the Fijian Ministry and Fiji National Employment Centre, each building project facilitates training and skills development for Fijian students and unemployed youths. The project is a mechanism to teach basic carpentry skills to unemployed youth and fund spaces for Fijian students to gain work based experience.  The cross-cultural nature of our project introduces Fijians to global understanding and develops their ‘soft skills’ and leadership. Finally, we highlight unemployed youth for further training and apprenticeships within our Foundation and other local organisatons.

How does the build Work?

The build is facilitated collaboratively by TP volunteers and Fijian Youth in groups throughout the day (18-35 year olds).

Logistics

Time commitment – 4-5 hours per day (split in two groups),  Monday – Friday for the duration of the project.

Numbers – 1 project

• Team of 18-26 International Participants on the TP Team
• 3-4 TP leaders
• x20 Fijian Fijian Youth

x5 Youth are given $20 each day to join the build as a standard rate with any youth programme in Fiji (as they may be giving up time at the farm/fishing/households/daily life to attend). This is to be organised with the Turaga ni Koro who with the leaders, will arrange a register for those attending each day/week and make those payments weekly.

Delivery

Under the guidance of the Build manager, you as a volunteer will work alongside the team and community youth members to construct, by hand, requested infrastructure. You will use simple tools to provide the most adequate carpentry training to anyone involved and the build will be completed within the timeframe of the project, from foundation to finishing touches.

You don’t have to be an expert in construction! Your enthusiasm and commitment is all we ask and results will follow.

The work is generally divided up into two groups, one group doing the build in the morning and the other in the afternoon. While one group is building, the other is conducting the culture course.

Resources and Evaluation

All resources and tools for the build are provided by Think Pacific.

Oversight 

TP Leaders will oversee:

• Delivery Groups Selection
• Signing off on weekly agenda and activities
• Communication with Village and Youth Group.
• Liaising with management for reflections
• Assisting with delivery

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and Evaluation efforts continue post-project in every community we visit. This ensures long-term sustainability with further funding opportunities and highlighting scholarship opportunities post-project delivery for young people. There is a reflection period for the team to reflect on delivery and after the entire delivery period, we will then feedback to our partners through impact reports.

Who are the Youth you are Working With?

The official definition of ‘Youth’ in Fiji according to the Ministry of Youth and Sports is anyone between the ages of 18-35. Villages in rural locations in Fiji more often than not have a registered ‘Youth Group’ that is made up of members of the village of that age. The extent to which that group is utilised within the village varies due to member commitments and their re-ignition is a real focus for the current Ministry of Youth.

Context

18-35 year olds in the village often come with a variety of backgrounds and life stories: some may have dropped out of school as early as the age of 14 who engage in farming within the village’s subsistence lifestyle, others may be returning university students or school finishers, but all will be gain from the interactions that the project facilitates. Due to a variety of reasons, rural communities in Fiji have a significantly lower access to opportunity to urban areas and the ‘Youth’ are the primary demographic to be affected by that. This means that fundamentally out projects are outreach initiatives promoting equal access to opportunity.

Why Work with Youth?

Youth are the new generation of leaders in Fiji and within communities. They are the target demographic for many of the advocacy efforts of our partners because of this. What is handy for your engagement on this project too is that you will be the same age as most of the people in the room… there is a real opportunity for cross-cultural exchange in an opportunity like this where you can look people in the eye who have very different experiences and backgrounds and learn from each other in a collaborative space.

In addition to the points above, we aim to support young people in rural areas by furthering their employability and employment opportunities, advising about and delivering local training and education opportunities, encouraging them to become local ambassadors for the Fiji National Development Plan and to continue advocacy with their peers and younger generations within rural areas of Fiji.

The Purpose of the Culture Course

Daru Vueta Tale Mada

“Culture is how we act, think, and behave based on the shared values of our society. It is everywhere, and we continually develop and define our culture on a daily basis.”

What is it?

The Culture Course is an experiential learning programme as standard with any rural Think Pacific project in line with requests from the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs. You will be immersed in rural Fijian culture throughout your project but this course intentionally goes deeper! Through immersion, the course aims to educate project participants about the nuances of indigenous Fijian culture through structured sessions delivered by members of the community youth group themselves and Think Pacific leaders.

Purpose

The course is set up to encourage an appropriate mindset from participants during the project, facilitate a meaningful experience for you but also works towards wider goals set out by the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs.

Fijian culture can be identified firmly as being an oral tradition – cultural knowledge is not written down and is transferred from generation to generation! A fear for many in Fiji’s current cultural climate that young people are not engaging with integral aspects of local custom and culture and knowledge is being lost. In line with requests from the Ministry of iTaukei affairs, this initiative aims to stimulate engagement with and revitalise local customs and traditions amongst rural youth. It aims to harness a pride in one’s culture and upbringing as well as practicing skills and communicating knowledge that defines the region and Fiji more broadly.

It ensures that all involved are learning cross-cultural skills through experience which they can not only support the rest of the aims during the project, but they can also utilise moving forward. This is not a one way street however as through discussing elements of indigenous Fijian culture in depth, both parties (participants and community members) will be simultaneously engaging in a cross-cultural examination of what makes up ‘culture’ and ‘people’ more broadly, exercising skills in appreciating new perspectives through discussion and reflection.

In addition, it is a clear opportunity to provide those youth leading the course a leadership opportunity, giving them a further platform to develop their soft-skills and boost personal and professional development.

The FNDP and SDGs

Fiji’s National Development Plan

By understanding the richness of Fijian culture still present today, whether through appreciating the crux of identity in understanding the vanua or the immense community wealth engrained in Fijian society, it is obvious why preserving these intricacies are crucial for the development of the country. There is also an economic incentive as Fiji’s economy is largely dependent on tourism, much of which is fuelled by cultural experience. In addition, with traditional skills and practices still commonplace, they form the basis for income-generation in many communities. With these combined, it is no surprise that Culture and Heritage holds its own plan for preservation and development in Fiji’s National Development Plan.

Fiji National Development Policy 3.1.10 – Culture and Heritage 

• Cultural heritage forms an essential part of Fijian identity, this includes language, food, rituals and arts.
• These need to be safeguarded and promoted for future generations.
• The National Culture Policy and National Culture and Education Strategy helps protect and preserve cultural heritage.
• The cultural mapping programme will be key to gather information on traditional knowledge and heritage.
• The use of local culture in the tourism industry will promote and protect cultural heritage and the “Fijian Crafted” campaign will help to promote cultural performances and traditional crafts.
• The Fiji Museum and the National Library will be upgraded thus contributing to the preservation of Fiji’s heritage.
• Artisan production will be scaled up to provide genuine and culturally appropriate goods to tourists.
• Cultural heritage sites will be protected.

The government aims to “protect and promote unique Fijian cultural heritage for sustainable development”

UN SDGs

The UN SDGs underpin Fiji’s National Development Plan. Although none of the 17 SDGs focuses exclusively on culture, it is integrated into a number of the goals and the ones below are particularly relevant to the outcomes of the FNDP found above:

• Target 4.7 refers to the aim to ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for global citizenship and the appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
• Target 8.3 addresses the promotion of development-oriented policies that support productive activities as well as, among others, creativity and innovation.
• Targets 8.9 and 12.b refer to the need to devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism, including through local culture and products, and to the need to develop suitable monitoring tools in this area.
• Target 11.4 highlights the need to strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

Intended Learning Outcomes

For You:

• Learn in-depth about the lifestyle, culture and traditional skills that make up rural Fiji and importantly understand how they all relate and why.
• Develop inter-cultural competency and the ability to successfully communicate within a foreign cultural environment.
• Adaptability to changes in your own and foreign cultures.
• Tolerance: while working in teams, learn to listen more attentively, to respect each other’s opinion, team-work and team-spirit.
• Personal Skills: personability and set-up of sessions allows you to grow in confidence and communication.
• Appreciation of diversity: appreciation of the opinions and values of others, sensitivity to cultural diversity, and becoming more aware of your own culture.
• Broader Perspective: Reconsider the cultural framework you have been brought up in and acquire skills that will enable you to observe and analyse encounters with diversity and to extend these beyond the framework of your culture.
• Critical thinking.

For Community Youth Members

• Pride in their culture and upbringing and the practicing of traditional skills and knowledge.
• To encourage personal growth in the form of a boost in confidence, communication skills, team working, leadership, time management and presentation skills.
• Financial support for those involved and the youth group of the community.
• Any outstanding individuals can be highlighted for scholarship / employment opportunities
• Appreciation of diversity: appreciation of the opinions and values of others, sensitivity to cultural diversity, and becoming more aware of their culture.
• Broader Perspective: Reconsider the cultural framework they have been brought up in and to acquire skills that will enable them to observe and analyse encounters with diversity and to extend these beyond the framework of their culture.
• Critical thinking.

How does it work?

So you understand the purpose of the Culture Course and what it is… but how does it work? You will be undertaking cultural education sessions delivered by youth members of the community under four main themes of culture, all the way to the final showcase to complete the course at the end on a high. Read below for more details:

Themes

Four themes:

• Identity and Custom
• Perspective
• Art
• Food

These categories are not mutually exclusive as almost all of them will relate to at least another one of those categories. (Eg. Meke would come under the category ‘art’ but can easily also relate to identity and language, even food.)

What they can be used for, however, is structuring each week consistently with other projects whilst allowing for local variations on each category. If x2 sessions from all categories are hit and delivered, that will make up the successful completion of the course.

Each session may include a discussion element and then a practical element. Villages may choose which areas or sessions they feel most comfortable with delivering and talking about and select from those categories to create an itinerary. This will normally be agreed upon during the prep visit ahead of the team’s arrival.

Logistics

Time commitment – 2 hours per day,  Monday – Friday x2 weeks (10 days)

Numbers – 1 project

• Team of 18-22 participants
• x2 Fijian Leaders, x2 international leaders
• 5 Community Youth Members

Donation to Youth Group – $2000

Delivery

x5 key youth members will be highlighted by the community during prep-visits. These will be consistent members who would be learning delivery. Any other youth are thoroughly encouraged to take part but we know that the core 5 will always be ready to get involved.

Community Youth are expected to lead sessions based on what they feel comfortable delivering and facilitating with the community and TP leaders are there to support. Discussions had with youth during prep visits to lay out and agree on an itinerary for the 10 days (+ weekends).

In addition, although they can have free creative license (there may be a unique tradition that they wish to include), to support and give some ideas, the manual will be beneficial providing not only an outline of the course, the purpose, but also plenty of session ideas to give them ideas and for them to use if they are ever stuck. These session plans will not be leading (not making every project a carbon copy of the other), every village is unique and can add its own flavour.

Completion

There are a couple of aspects to the way we end the course but the main aim is to demonstrate learning outcomes whilst feeling like a fitting end to the time in the village.

Completion Criteria 

We believe it is beneficial to have both a practical element to completing the course as well as a reflective one… It combines both experiential learning and critical reflection.

1. Showcase 

Live performance of one of the ‘art’ components learnt: a learnt meke / vucu to the village at the end of project. If you take part, you have sealed off the experience.

This would coincide with a big grog session (celebration) and the official end of the project on the final night / final appropriate night as an official part of the project.

Purpose:

• To demonstrate commitment to the program
• To demonstrate appreciating and learning new skills
• Great fun.

2. Top 3s

After the showcase to the village, each participant picks three main observations/appreciations of their experience in comparing their own culture with Fiji’s, expanding on what they have learnt. This may be shared with the village at the end of the project during a final celebration, taking turns to present to them. (Brownie points if shared in Fijian!)

The village youth delivering the sessions will also do the same. May include what they learnt during the experience and how they found delivering it.

Purpose

• Provides opportunity for critical reflection
• Practices public speaking
• Would ensure a fitting and heartfelt end to the project itself.

No Superheroes, No Saviours. Just Thoughtful Collaboration, Challenge and Understanding…

Setting You Up For Success.

You won’t change the world on a TP project (or any volunteer project).  But with us, you will be able to make a small and real contribution. International development is complex. International volunteering organisations can be a real mixed bag of quality.If you’re reading this then we know you’re someone who likes to delve deeper and consider carefully – which is wonderful!

You join a project for a short period of time, but with Think Pacific your impact is part of a long-term plan, which achieves sustainable charity initiatives. In other words, you become a chess piece in a much bigger game of chess! Our projects are hugely inspiring and rewarding for communities and Fijian youth in Fiji and continue to achieve empowering and sustainable results. To progress our impact further, we’re looking for individuals who really want to learn about Fiji, embrace a new way of life and test yourself in unfamiliar settings. If you come to Fiji with this mindset and  a positive ‘can do’ attitude, we promise, you’ll work on genuinely sound initiatives, which are making a real contribution at a local level – A programme that breeds global understanding, fosters youth development and is demanding but carefully designed to match to your skill level.  We also know the project is a real challenge, but that living at the heart of a Fijian village is just about the biggest, most reflective and most memorable life lesson you can have.

Where Does Your Impact Come From?

Using external participation to boost internal opportunity 

Think Pacific does not need to exist, but we aim to act as a surplus of support. When you are joining a Think Pacific program, you are funding initiatives that happen on the ground whilst also witnessing and participating in their delivery – seeing that action unfold in-country. You are essentially providing important resources and your own time that can be re-distributed to support a uniquely Fijian approach to development. This is a unique learning opportunity for you that does not replace opportunities for local engagement, it actually has a place in creating them; boosting local employment opportunities and boosting the stability, sustainable growth and capacity of our Fijian partners.

Our 9-Step Process To Crafting Each Project

Creating The Most Sustainable Impact Possible

Volunteering With Us Means…

Accountability & Local Oversight 

Did you know? Many volunteer organisations act as a ‘middle man’ for local NGOs and charities abroad. This can cause conflicts of interest, unrealistic expectations and mixed messages. As a UK social enterprise (Think Pacific) and a registered Fijian charitable Trust (Think Pacific Foundation), with over 100 annual staff in Fiji, we provide whole oversight and accountability of the projects and wider local aims of training, monitoring and sustainability.

Fundamental to this model, every Think Pacific project is planned in collaboration and at the request of communities and local organisation and directed and monitored by Fijian Ministries to ensure our projects have real purpose and long term sustainability. We are respected for working within the framework of the government, adding immediate benefit to long-term strategies through projects themselves and continued funding provided year round. This includes driving forward the aims of Fiji’s National Development Plan and being a key facilitator of the Ministry of Health’s Towards a Healthy Fiji Islands Initiative.

So rather than imposing our own ideals, the projects themselves and your participation are designed to wholly support localised objectives through supporting our partners. And on a mindset level, you know exactly what is expected of you during the delivery of project… a huge opportunity to learn and a engage in what is a fascinating exercise of cross-cultural dialogue.