No Superheroes, No Saviours. Just Thoughtful Collaboration, Challenge and Understanding…
Setting You Up For Success.
You won’t change the world on a TP project (or any volunteer project). But with us, you will be able to make a small and real contribution. International development is complex. International volunteering organisations can be a real mixed bag of quality.If you’re reading this then we know you’re someone who likes to delve deeper and consider carefully – which is wonderful!
You join a project for a short period of time, but with Think Pacific your impact is part of a long-term plan, which achieves sustainable charity initiatives. In other words, you become a chess piece in a much bigger game of chess! Our projects are hugely inspiring and rewarding for communities and Fijian youth in Fiji and continue to achieve empowering and sustainable results. To progress our impact further, we’re looking for individuals who really want to learn about Fiji, embrace a new way of life and test yourself in unfamiliar settings. If you come to Fiji with this mindset and a positive ‘can do’ attitude, we promise, you’ll work on genuinely sound initiatives, which are making a real contribution at a local level – A programme that breeds global understanding, fosters youth development and is demanding but carefully designed to match to your skill level. We also know the project is a real challenge, but that living at the heart of a Fijian village is just about the biggest, most reflective and most memorable life lesson you can have.
Where Does Your Impact Come From?
Using external participation to boost internal opportunity
Think Pacific does not need to exist, but we aim to act as a surplus of support. When you are joining a Think Pacific program, you are funding initiatives that happen on the ground whilst also witnessing and participating in their delivery – seeing that action unfold in-country. You are essentially providing important resources and your own time that can be re-distributed to support a uniquely Fijian approach to development. This is a unique learning opportunity for you that does not replace opportunities for local engagement, it actually has a place in creating them; boosting local employment opportunities and boosting the stability, sustainable growth and capacity of our Fijian partners.
Our 9-Step Process To Crafting Each Project
Creating The Most Sustainable Impact Possible
1. Requested
The Fijian Government take requests from the Provincial Councils and Regional Youth Groups who would like a volunteer team to visit their community
2. Consultation
Meeting with Government to discuss and prioritse the requests from Provinces and ensuring the programme will match the youth groups aims and ambitions and the skill level of volunteers
3. Planning
TP and our National Advisors visit the village settings to run planning days with the community, youth groups and children and set expectation
4. Logistics
As every project visits a different area, we plan travel, resources, healthcare and risk assessments
5. Resources & Materials
We purchase specific materials and confirm course content for each setting with our local partners
6. Delivery
Your Project Managers plan your arrival, deliver your briefing and Expedition Leaders guide you into your village
7. Review & Feedback
Feedback from the youth group and community, as well as gaining thorough de-brief and reflection of your learning outcomes
8. Educate & Sustain
We continue to up-skill and train young Fijian adults who become long term Youth, Sport & Health Ambassadors for each project setting through our ‘Educate the Educators’ program
9. Long Term Impact
The long term goal is for the youths we support to be inspired to become the change agents of the future, running initiatives themselves within their communities
Volunteering With Us Means..
Accountability & Local Oversight
Did you know? Many volunteer organisations act as a ‘middle man’ for local NGOs and charities abroad. This can cause conflicts of interest, unrealistic expectations and mixed messages. As a UK social enterprise (Think Pacific) and a registered Fijian charitable Trust (Think Pacific Foundation), with over 100 annual staff in Fiji, we provide whole oversight and accountability of the projects and wider local aims of training, monitoring and sustainability.
Fundamental to this model, every Think Pacific project is planned in collaboration and at the request of communities and local organisation and directed and monitored by Fijian Ministries to ensure our projects have real purpose and long term sustainability. We are respected for working within the framework of the government, adding immediate benefit to long-term strategies through projects themselves and continued funding provided year round. This includes driving forward the aims of Fiji’s National Development Plan and being a key facilitator of the Ministry of Health’s Towards a Healthy Fiji Islands Initiative.
So rather than imposing our own ideals, the projects themselves and your participation are designed to wholly support localised objectives through supporting our partners. And on a mindset level, you know exactly what is expected of you during the delivery of project… a huge opportunity to learn and a engage in what is a fascinating exercise of cross-cultural dialogue.