Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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Rugby is the most popular sport in Fiji and is played with great flair. However, despite Fiji Rugby’s success on the international front, the national game receives little financial or coaching support at grassroots level and most children never receive proper coaching to harness their obvious natural ability. During the day our rugby projects focus on school’s rugby at primary and secondary level where structured coaching can instantly improve the technique and skill-level of the players. We also work with local academy teams where your experience, training drills and a fresh approach can improve tactical awareness and overall game-play. In the evenings and weekends you can train, coach and play with local clubs.
Netball is the most popular women’s sport in Fiji, with many regular players from primary school age up to adult. Although netball has been played in Fiji for years, it is only recently that a structured development plan has been put in place. Enthusiasm for netball is evident in every school that we coach at. Volunteers can expect a very warm welcome to any adults clubs they train with. Most teams train every night of the week and play matches on a Saturday.
Hockey has been played in Fiji since the 1930s with regional and national leagues but still lacks any real youth development structure. In the last few years, we have been responsible for introducing the sport to thousands of children. With basic introductory coaching on grass and regular trips to local pitches to refine the new skills volunteers can really make a difference converting a young player’s enthusiasm into ability. Volunteers will also be able to coach, train and play with local clubs in the evening and may even take optional trips to Suva to train with national team players on the only water-based Astroturf in that part of the world.
Football is the second most popular sport among boys in Fiji and is widely played on the west coast. There is a highly competitive and well supported national Premier League and the profile of the game has risen dramatically in recent years. Volunteers can have a major impact on the development of the beautiful game in Fiji working in local schools to improve basic skills. Volunteers will also get involved at local clubs, coaching, training and playing matches in the evening and at weekends. We also have links with the most successful club in Fiji in the nearby town of Ba where our volunteers can coach at the youth academy and train with the first team.
We support the work of all our partner organisations in several ways. By providing motivated volunteers to assist with daily tasks and to focus on new areas we are able to make a real day-to day contribution. This improves the opportunities and quality of life for those who are benefiting directly as well as assisting and motivating those who are working in our partner organisations. Volunteers often bring new ideas and solutions together with a fresh perspective to reinvigorate and inspire those around them who may have been struggling for years with a lack of resources and training. Very often the way in which our volunteers make the biggest difference is just by being there to show an outside interest and share in the lives of local children and adults. Volunteering in overcrowded classrooms, orphanages and hospitals you will have an opportunity to make a lasting difference as well as learning new skills and enjoying a unique experience.
Whilst volunteering to spend your time with people and to show you care is a fantastic contribution in itself, we also offer tangible support in terms of donated materials and equipment. Our contribution ranges from food, milk and clothes for local orphanages or sports equipment for sports clubs to laboratory equipment for local hospitals and classroom materials for local primary schools. We also provide materials to refurbish and renovate dilapidated building such as classrooms and kindergartens to improve the learning environment and orphanage dormitories and maternity wards to improve hygiene, cleanliness and use of space.
Our projects are very environmentally and culturally sensitive respecting local traditions, languages and religions. We live as the locals do as far as is possible, adapting to local conditions. All accommodation is locally owned and sourced in regional towns with good access to all of our volunteer projects. Whilst not as remote as our village building and teaching projects, you will still be immersed in local culture, interacting with the local population on a daily basis, together with your fellow volunteers living in the same house. We recruit staff from within the area to work alongside our UK Crew and source all food and supplies from the locality in order to contribute to the local economy.
We minimise the use of valuable resources such as water and firewood to reduce the environmental impact of our projects, showers are available for washing and towels are not provided. We operate small group projects with a maximum of 10 per group (up to 24 in Fiji) to ensure that volunteers are welcomed into each community and that our presence isn’t overwhelming. We also provide comprehensive and accurate pre-departure information together with full orientations and responsible travel briefings to increase cultural sensitivity. We offset the CO2 emissions for every flight made by our staff and encourage all volunteers to do the same.
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