Reflections on my LiA

From enjoying teamwork to the unexpected return of a sense of self-assurance, the six weeks spent in Fiji were some of the most formative and brilliant weeks of my personal and professional development and I cannot wait to tell my stories to all the people that I am going to meet in my life.
Reflections on my LiA
Like

Six weeks ago, I headed to Fiji to participate in a youth and community project with Think Pacific and Alliance For Future Generations as my LiA. Upon arrival, I was exhausted from a challenging year, was dealing with self-doubt and I wishfully hoped that six weeks away from the chaos of everyday life and doing a project that I spent months looking forward to might give me the time and experience to gain good hindsight and return home with many things to be proud of. To my pleasant surprise, this wishful thinking became a reality, and it is thanks to many factors.

Firstly, the brilliant team of scholars who participated in the project and helped build enjoyable working and friendly relations which in turn had a positive impact on the efficiency of our work. Even at times of conflict or disinterest, we would uplift one another, and it was always endearing to be shown that I could be appreciated as a member of the team and that my best efforts were being counted. Secondly, a devoted group of leaders who made the adjustment period a hundred times easier for us and constantly made efforts to make our time in Fiji even more memorable. Through the worst coral cuts to feeling homesick, they always put our wellbeing first and took the time to talk to us and give us any help that we needed.

Third and most importantly, my lovely family in Fiji who warmly welcomed us into their home and took care of us for six weeks like a member of their family. I am still reliving and boasting about the time I spent with my nene, tou and siblings, talking about all things over tea and all my playtimes and singing nursery rhymes with my five-year-old namesake. The warmth and friendliness of my family and the community at Toga village were unmatched and so integral to the more positive mindset that I obtained. I never would have thought that the scholarship programme I applied to in my first year at university would end up playing a more important role than my degree in helping me realise my potentials and interests.

The Build and Culture Sessions

The first half of the project focused on building a health clinic. The first week got off to a rather chaotic start with materials being delayed and, in many instances, the building site being a little bit overcrowded. The latter was solved to an extent in the following weeks when we were split into two groups and worked morning and afternoon shifts. When we weren’t on the build, we participated in culture sessions where we were taught about Fijian culture by members of the community. These included meke (the traditional Fijian dance), kava ceremonies, broom and fan weaving amongst other things. Additionally, we also took part in activities outside the village on Saturdays such as a cave trek, going to Sigatoka to watch a rugby match and hiking the sand dunes. In the last week of the project, we had the opening ceremony of the clinic were we all gathered at the site and sang hymns and songs to celebrate the opening of the clinic that we built with Fijian families.

Youth and Community

The youth empowerment section of the project was delivered by a lovely group of people from Alliance For Future Generations and the sessions focused on educating ourselves and the community about climate change, especially its effects on Fiji and the Pacific region. As part of this, we engaged closely with the younger members of our community to prepare group presentations and make promotional posters, signs, bins and ashtrays to put around the village. I found the sessions to be very informative and essential to our understanding of the wider effects of climate change on regions that we don’t cover at our schools at home. The sessions took place in the mornings which meant we had the afternoon and the evenings to go on walks around the village and spend time with our families and friends.

From enjoying teamwork to the unexpected return of a sense of self-assurance, the six weeks spent in Fiji were some of the most formative and brilliant weeks of my personal and professional development and I cannot wait to tell my stories to all the people I am going to meet in my life. 

 

Please sign in

If you are a registered user on Laidlaw Scholars Network, please sign in

Go to the profile of Corey Jones
over 1 year ago

Such a pleasure to have worked with you on this project Diyar!