As a hands-on member of the GVI team, you will be involved with a diverse variety of key initiatives involving themes such as freshwater management, education enrichment, environmental monitoring and mapping, waste management and health awareness.
On this program, you will find yourself among the forests and mountainous backdrop of the Dawasamu District, where you will be working alongside local people on a range of community development initiatives. The dramatic Fijian landscape is defined by sweeping volcanic hillsides, dense jungle, fresh water waterfalls, extensive beaches and colourful coral reefs.
The goals and priorities of this expedition are discussed and determined in collaboration with the local communities of the Dawasamu District. There are five core focuses of the expedition: WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene), health and nutrition, education enrichment and empowerment, and environmental management & protection.
Overall, our program aims to assist villagers to adapt their livelihoods in response to the changing pressures on traditional life due to both environmental and social change. GVI focuses on empowering communities by actively engaging important issues involved with the factors that inform their quality of life, such as access to fresh water, access to education and food security.
Volunteers help the local communities assess environmental impacts, enrich available education, and solve basic infrastructure issues through improvements and new initiatives. In comparison to other areas of Fiji, this district is relatively untouched by tourism and there are few sources of income for the local community.
Highlights
- Promoting the importance of preventive health measures.
- Developing workshops for adults on topics of interest including IT skills and monitoring skills.
- Working alongside the local community to contribute to long term sustainable development.
- Meeting other volunteers from all over the world, in a quest to become a global citizen.