Zoe & David, ‘Vlog’ Their Summer with Exeter Students to Fiji University 2017

Student Volunteer Stories
Published 31/08/2017

Above is the Exeter Students to Fiji 2017 Team

35 Exeter Students Across 2 Projects Provided Over 5,000 Hours of Educational Support This Summer

Zoe & David were joined by fellow Exeter University students across June & July as members of the Think Pacific Student Global Mobility summer program.

The students arrived armed with passion, energy and enthusiasm to drive youth and sports development aims for the Think Pacific Foundation – in partnership with the Fijian Ministry of Education. Think Pacific’s aims are laser focused towards uplifting children out of hardship through providing basic literacy & numeracy support, daily PE lessons, early-years learning and extra-curricular activities.

During a 1 month expedition the students lived with host families in remote traditional Fijian villages whilst they volunteered in rural schools in the jungle highlands of the Nadroga Province. (Know to the local as ‘the heart of Fiji’!)

On their arrival back to the UK, both David and Zoe shared the ‘blogs’ they created whilst on project with fellow students from Exeter University…

 

Zoe’s Awesome ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ Team Video

Zoe Basset-Bollom, Psychology Student, Exeter University, 2nd Year

“I’m feeling the Fiji homesickness big time – take me back!”

Check Out David’s ‘Vlog’ of His Summer Volunteering in the Nadroga Highlands

David Reichelt, Physics & Astrophysics Student, Exeter University, 1st Year 

“My month volunteering in Fiji with Think Pacific was like nothing I’d ever done before. I arrived not really knowing what to expect, and not really knowing the people I’d be spending the next month with.

The following weeks were just incredible! Teaching Maths and English at first seemed like a real challenge but it soon became apparent the real impact we could make. In the afternoons we would teach sport the kids loved!
Saturdays were a chance to explore. We visited huge caves, waterfalls and sand dunes. Meanwhile Sundays were all about family and church – a great chance to bond with the community.


The most difficult part of my time in Fiji was saying goodbye to my Fijian family. I never thought I’d be in tears but there was not a single dry eye in the truck as we pulled away.


To anybody reading this who wants to escape their comfort zone and spend their summer making real change, I’d just say GO!”

On behalf of the Think Pacific team, the Fijian Government and our local partners in Fiji…

We would like to say a huge Vinaka Vaka Levu to the Exeter University students who volunteered with this summer.

For more information about Think Pacific student volunteer projects, please visit www.thinkpacific.com

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