During the first year of my Laidlaw Scholarship, I got an amazing experience in scientific work which made me reluctant to apply for a leadership in action project instead of continuing research. I found the requirement to pursue a project abroad to be frustrating at first, however looking back I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity because it allowed me to have the experience of a lifetime which shaped me to become a better leader and a more well-rounded and open-minded person.

The second year of the Laidlaw Scholarship took me to Fiji to work with the Think Pacific Foundation for my leadership in action project. Our team was specifically invited by the Jubairata village to educate the public about diabetes and mental health. The goal of the team was to support the work of our local partners the Diabetes Fiji Foundation and Youth Champs 4 Mental Health. The core content was delivered by these organisations during daily workshops. Most of the programme was focused on the youths between the ages of 18 to 35 who are the future of the village and thereby hold the greatest potential to bring about significant change in their own lives and in the community.

At first the scholars only took part in the workshops and facilitated some group discussions however we all felt like we could contribute much more to these sessions by playing to our individual strength and taking a more active role in the organisation and delivery. We discussed this initiative with both the project leaders and the partners through a series of meetings until we achieved a much more active role in the core workshops. This struggle taught me about the importance of feedback and communication as well as the crucial role of perseverance required to achieve a position of leadership from which one can generate a stronger positive impact. The team took this sentiment a step further by designing an additional curriculum of workshops aimed at teaching essentials and facilitating cultural exchange by discussing topics such as personal hygiene and female empowerment. Besides learning important lessons in leadership, I also mastered an array of techniques in science communication and specifically how to effectively convey complex scientific ideas and evidence-based practices to the public.

The volunteers also took the role of students in the culture course taught by the local youths aimed at better understanding the day-to-day village life as well gaining a deeper knowledge of the history and mythology of Jubairata. We learned unique aspects of their heritage such as how to make the traditional raft, the bili bili, that they used to take down the river to reach the closest settlement before any roads were built. The insight into the cultural context and the daily life of the local people greatly contributed to improving my cultural awareness. While I found the sessions extremely enriching, they also benefitted the local youths involved as they got valuable experience in educating others about their culture which greatly improves their job prospects in multiple fields, such as NGO work.

During the six weeks of our stay, we have achieved meaningful progress in a multitude of ways as we engaged the public in discussions they never had before, advised them on best practices regarding mental and physical health, and held impactful sessions such as the health clinic. The health clinic was the culmination of our two-week course on non-communicable diseases which involved healthcare professionals from all over Fiji who would otherwise not be accessible to the locals. The clinic was a huge success as more than 200 people participated and we identified over 60 previously undiagnosed diabetic patients who can now access help from their local clinic.

While we achieved many of our professional goals, we also made incredible connections with the villagers who took us in and treated us like a member of their own family and showered us with love. Living the day-to-day life of these people, seeing their immense love and joy amongst their struggles was a truly life-changing experience. I couldn’t have done all this without the incredible team of scholars who themselves came from all walks of life, everyone bringing something unique to the project. I made lifelong friends among my team and had conversations that I will always cherish.