What went well?
The medical dispensary was finally completed and its opening ceremony was held on Friday. Starting from Thursday, two organizations including Diabetes Fiji and Youth Champs 4 Mental Health came to the village to conduct workshops. As volunteers, our role in the workshops was to facilitate discussion in small groups.
What could have been done differently?
Regarding the interaction with my host family, I could be more proactive in sharing my experiences and challenges. As they are locals, they would be familiar with how to handle certain situations (e.g. sickness).
As for the workshops, it would be good to communicate with the organization in advance the roles of us volunteers during the workshop. Most of the workshops were loaded with information. Better organization could be done to help participants absorb the information. For instance, when talking about common types of diseases in Fiji, subheadings (e.g. description, cause, prevention method) could be used. Also, most information was presented orally, it might be more effective if keywords could be written or graphics be used.
What did I learn about myself when working with others?
In group discussion, I tend to let others speak. I was not confident in taking up the role to facilitate others to talk.
What did I learn about leadership?
I heard an inspiring quote from the speaker in one of the workshops, "push yourself out of your comfort zone, that's when you grow". A leader should always dare to challenge him/herself. There are different opportunities around me but I need to be brave to grasp them and maximize my own learning.
What do I want to develop or focus on next?
I want to be willing to try out new things and be proactive in engaging others.