Work in the breathtaking Yasawa Islands to gain valuable hands-on teaching experience

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Students Preparing for a Traditional Dance

Program Overview
Program Life
Project Details
Testimonials
Free Time

Program Overview

For the duration of this internship you will be based on the picturesque Yasawa island chain steps from warm white sandy beaches that separate the beautiful volcanic hillsides from the emerald blue waters. This stunning environment makes for a truly blissful environment to work and live.

Your main focus will be on educational initiatives and classroom activities in the village of Nacula and in other surrounding communities as needed. Your long-term presence will make a huge impact on the early stages of the children’s educational development, as your continuous support allows the children to grow and learn in a familiar and comfortable environment.

During the first 12 weeks Interns will work alongside volunteers and will receive continuous training that encompasses theory lectures, group study, lesson planning and teaching practice. After successful completion of the training phase conducted on our project in Fiji you will start your work placement with a partner organization or assist the GVI team in the operation and management of our project. With both pathways you will gain valuable experience throughout.

The internship serves as a fabulous stepping stone to developing your personal career whether it be through the experience you can gain or the purely unique teaching environment that surrounds you each day. After a successful internship, qualifying candidates may be given the opportunity to work for selected partner organizations or with GVI in Fiji, or in other countries around the world.

GVI is real volunteering

Our projects are constantly evolving according to the needs on the ground at any given time. All the information displayed here will give you an overall feel for the project, but you should be prepared for any changes in the field when you travel. An evolving project means that we can constantly meet the needs and requirements of our partners, who dictate the work that we do. The way it should be.

Program Life

Work weeks last from Monday through Friday where you will be in the community teaching and organizing educational activities for the children. Your days will start in the early morning when you will have your breakfast followed by a boat-ride to the community arriving in time for school. While the days can be long, the experience of living in such a remote and beautiful place and making a profound difference in the lives of the local children makes it all worthwhile.

Your role as an intern will require you to take a leadership role, spending your days planning and preparing for the classes to come during your afternoons back on base.

Free time is available each evening and all weekends, whereby you can stroll on the beach, explore the area or even other islands, enjoy a few drinks with other volunteers or just relax under a tree with a book.

The provided accommodation is shared dorms, and you will lend a hand with chores like cooking and cleaning on a rotating schedule.

Your work placement side of the internship will continue along the same lines, but you will be expected to take on more responsibility.

Project Details

The essential elements of this program focus on giving lessons in English, mathematics, physical education and arts and crafts along with assisting with adult education and training courses. However you will have the opportunity to participate in additional programs to further your own development.

While on the program you will be working toward a certification in Team Leading, while you manage the wider aspects of the project and mentor and manage the volunteers.

The ultimate aim of this program is to empower the local community with a thorough and high-quality education system that benefits the children, teachers and the wider community.

How this project makes a difference:

In recent years Fiji has suffered from a drop in tourism and sugar cane production, two of the country’s most important economic assets. GVI has been invited by the local government to assist local efforts to address education, health and water issues.

Volunteering directly with the education aspect, this program provides the necessary assistance to local teachers to enable children to acquire English language skills in order to aim for a better future.

Testimonials

Many past volunteers have had amazing experiences traveling with GVI. Read what they have to say here.

Free Time

Volunteering with GVI not only allows you to participate on programs assisting disadvantaged communities or endangered ecosystems but it also offers wonderful opportunities to travel in the local area in your down time or further afield either before or after your program. Many decide to travel after volunteering, solidifying the lifetime friendships established on program.

Our long term field staff are a great source of advice and are here to help you make the most of your time abroad. Remember to ask about discounts on local activities and side trips through your association with GVI. Our field teams have helped us put together the following information on trips and travel options in Fiji!

Optional Side Trips

Fiji is a beautiful and exotic destination where you will find picturesque white sand beaches, world class dive sites, and Fiji’s famous culture of hospitality and warmth. As an island nation, many of your potential activities are water based! Starting locally, you could try island hopping around the 20 volcanic islands of the Yasawa group. These remote islands are characterised by white beaches, crystal blue lagoon and dramatic rugged hills, some with summits 600 meters above sea level. Hike in the Mamanucas Highlands and enjoy a spectacular 360 degree view at the top of Malolo Island.

In the water, if not on our expedition and not dive qualified, enrol in a scuba diving course to the dive the various sites dotted around the Yasawas, home to abundant marine life, colourful corals and steep drop-offs. Get lucky with your dive, and visibility can exceed a massive 40m. But if you want to stay closer to the surface, you can snorkel with manta rays near Naviti Island or with sharks on the Waya reef. And for some simple old fashioned swimming, visit the Sawa-I-Lau limestone caves off the north coast of Nacula Island, one of the most famous natural attractions in Fiji.

Further Travelling Opportunities

A little further afield, the possibilities just keep on coming. Explore the town of Nadi with its bustling market, nearby hot springs at Sabeto or get a feel for the local atmosphere at a rugby match. Fiji’s capital city, Suva, is a city known for its relaxed atmosphere, energetic nightlife, large farmers market and atmospheric port. Here you can visit the Fiji Museum where you can find ancient tribal artefacts, one of the best exhibitions on tribal art in the Pacific, or read up on Fiji’s cannibal past. From Pacific Harbour, join a river safari into the heart of Fiji or dive with bull sharks in Bega Lagoon, one of the world’s most famous shark dives.

Staying on dry land, you might consider a trip to Sigatoka National Park where you’ll find a miniature desert of rolling sand dunes or a more relaxing option would be the Coral Coast and the Kula Eco Park, Fiji’s only wildlife park.