Bula! My name is Natalia and in September 2022 I aspire to travel 40+ hours to rural Fiji to undertake a 2 month expedition to volunteer with a registered charity organisation - Think Pacific Foundation (1162190), following a project to assist youth and community development in local villages to meet government targets. To find out more about what the donations are for, read the following! Link to page: https://thinkpacific.com/

All of the fundraising is going to Think Pacific Charity directly.

Think Pacific are a registered charity in England and Wales (1162190) and in Fiji (FJ989).

Since 2009, Think pacific have had over 3000 volunteers in Fiji, supporting the development of the villages. I hope to be part of those volunteers early next year.

Throughout the 2 months, I will be staying in one village throughout my time there, staying with a family and integrating into their lifestyle. Think Pacific pride themselves upon ensuring this charity work provides improvement and harmony.

I will be volunteering in schools to teach children and young adults. I will be teaching them English, maths, how to keep good health and help to improve their employability skills. This will be an enriching yet challenging experience which I am excited to undertake.

Furthermore, I will be following a building project which will take part in the village. Depending on the need of the village, to ensure sustainability, the building will supply a demand from the individuals living there. This could range from a health centre to a school. Nevertheless, this will leave a long-term impact, from creating jobs to ensuring the village is a safe and healthy place.

My aim is to raise £2,300 which will all support the project in Fiji and the family I will be living with. Over a third of the funding is used directly to supply resources, building and equipping schools, as well as supporting educational initiatives in the long term for children, communities, and the local teachers.

70% of Fijians are under the age of 40, so focusing on developing and teaching the youth will leave a large long-term impact from the projects. Living in Rural Fiji will be a different, challenging experience but one I am looking forward to conquering. I am expecting great challenges which I hope will give me new perspectives upon life. I hope to bring back the knowledge and skills that I gain back to the UK, integrating them into my everyday life. And, whilst I will be developing my independent adult life, it will be highly rewarding to say I helped the Fijian youth develop theirs as well.

Throughout the 2 months I will face tough and challenging conditions to help deliver the governments programs which will be inspiring youth to become the leaders of their community in the near future, helping educate children and young adults in school basics, sport, health, employability and well-being.

I am expecting great challenges which will give me a new outlook on life, and I hope to bring back skills and experience to adapt back in the UK, leading to a greater start in life.

Thank you!