Each leader has a period of 5 full days of preparation in Suva before travelling to Nadi and the project starting. This directly leads onto project delivery and concludes with a leader debrief in Suva. Days 1 – 6 is a crucial period of preperation for your role but it is also an opportunity to find your feet and acclimatise to the demands of the role, meet your fellow leaders and if you are an international leader to adapt to Fiji’s time zone and climate. Project is then delivered and once completed, your holiday period arrives. See the chart below for a standard timeline of your experience for 1 project:
NB: During this preparation period and throughout the project (until the Leader Debrief is completed), we have a no drinking policy for all leaders.
South Seas: South Seas is the hostel that we utilise for all international leaders during any time spent in Suva. Any night in Suva when staying at ‘South Seas’ is covered by Think Pacific. Address: 6 Williamson Road, Suva, Suva, Fiji
Leader Coffee: This is a chance for you to casually meet one of our team to have a quick check in, to ask any questions you may have in the early stages of preparation and meet some fellow leaders. A member of our team will contact you and arrange a time and a place.
Leader Training: This is formal in country training, the location and times of this training will be communicated to you in advance and clarified in the ‘leader coffee.’
PC & Leader Briefing: Once training has been completed, this is the first official time yourself and your fellow leadership team will meet your project coordinator, receive all details of your particular project and receive all equipment needed for your time as leader throughout the project. You can begin revising details about the team from this point onwards and prepare for the project.
Day Before Project / Travel to Nadi: The day after your Leader briefing takes place, you will travel from Suva to Nadi as a leadership unit in a pre-arranged taxi. You will arrive at a hotel called ‘Smugglers Cove’ which is where we have communicated to all our volunteers to meet for the start of the project. At 6:00pm, you will be available in the foyer area to meet those of the team who have arrived there the day before the start of the project.
PC & Leader Debrief: After the completion of your project, all leaders will return to Suva to meet in person with your Project Coordinator. This is a crucial meeting where all project inventory is returned and the project is debriefed. This is an opportunity for feedback to be shared from all.
Holiday Period: This is your opportunity to take a breather and relax after a busy project. This is the only time where drinking is permitted and will be organised and funded entirely by you.
NB: During the preparation period, all accommodation costs for international leaders are covered by Think Pacific. Food during this period is self-funded by leaders. Once the project itself begins, all food, travel and accommodation is covered by Think Pacific.