Fiji

Volunteer in Fiji

The incredible South Pacific Island is home to adventure, culture, warm waters, and even warmer people. Come experience the amazing 'Bula' spirit that is Fiji!

WHY we need you in Fiji

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Why Involvement Volunteers International?

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Volunteer in Fiji

Choose Fiji if you want a laid back tropical island experience with unique culture and many needs for volunteers.

We have volunteer projects based in 5 destinations in Fiji: Nadi, Lautoka, Manamanuca Islands, Suva and Coral Coast. Each location offers something unique, real and worthwhile.  

With IVI choose from projects involving Public Health & Nutrition, Teaching, Construction, Kindergarten, Sports Coaching, Animal Volunteering and more….  Fiji has been our premier destination for 25+ years with incredible in-country support.

Volunteer Projects in Fiji

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NUTRITION & PUBLIC HEALTH

With guidance from a qualified in country practitioner, assist with health checks in the local community & villages, including blood sugar, blood pressure, weight and height.

Location: Nadi, Lautoka & Mamanuca Islands 
Start Dates: 7th Jan 2024
Min Duration: 2 Weeks
Min Age: 18 Years
Special Requirements: Nutrition, Health & Medical students/ Qualifed professionals

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MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH

With guidance from a qualified in country practitioner, assist with meantl health checks in the local community & villages, including wellness walks and counselling sessions.

Location: Nadi, Lautoka & Mamanuca Islands 
Start Dates: 7th Jan 2024
Min Duration: 2 Weeks
Min Age: 18 Years
Special Requirements: Psychologists, Social workers, Counsellors, Mental health workers and students

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REMOTE ISLAND TEACHING

This is an incredible placement where you can experience in depth the authentic Fijian Island way of living. Teach on a paradise (but remote) island, at the local school, assisting local teachers.

Location: Mamanuca Island ranges (1 hour ferry from Nadi)
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 18 Years (16 if accompanied by a Guardian/Parent)
Special Requirements: N/A

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ENGLISH TEACHING

Teach English, Physical Education, Music or Arts & Crafts to local primary school children. Assist local teachers in the classroom, plan lessons and other fun activites, to encourage English conversational skills.

Location: Coral Coast (Sigatoka)
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 16 Years
Special Requirements: N/A

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KINDERGARTEN TEACHING

Work alongside local teachers, educating 4-7 year olds from the community. Plan lessons for fun and educational games and activities, helping to develop the childrens English conversational skills.

Location: Coral Coast (Sigatoka)
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 16 Years
Special Requirements: N/A

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SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOL

Teach vocational skills, computer training, speech therapy, physiotherapy, music therapy, singing, dancing, arts & crafts and physical education in special needs schools, to children and adults, for a truly rewarding experience.

Location: Nadi & Lautoka
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 18 Years (16 if accompanied by a Guardian/Parent)
Special Requirements: N/A

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MEDICAL INTERNSHIP

Help in under resourced medical clinics and hospitals in Fiji. Experience first hand the healthcare challenges faced by developing countries and truly make a difference, while gaining a unique and cultural experience.

Location: Nadi, Lautoka & Mamanuca Islands
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 18 Years
Special Requirements: Qualified Nurses, Doctors, Physio’s, Paramedics

* Currently not running. Check back soon or join another exciting project!

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CONSTRUCTION, CORAL COAST

Get involved in construction, renovation, school rebuilding and cyclone rebuilding, working alongside skilled local workers. Support local communities by creating a better quality of life for the locals.

Location: Coral Coast (Sigatoka)
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 16 Years
Special Requirements: N/A

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ANIMAL SHELTER

Many local animals shelters are in desperate need of caring animal lovers to assist with the maintenance and care of unwanted animals including community education, outreach and adoption services.

Location: Nadi, Lautoka & surrounding villages
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 18 Years
Special Requirements: N/A

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WOMEN & CHILDREN COMMUNE

Help a community made up of almost 400 people from disadvantaged backgrounds (mostly single mothers). Assist with childcare & teaching, social services, healthcare and administration skills. All volunteers welcome.

Location: Lautoka
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 18 Years (16 if accompanied by a Guardian/Parent)
Special Requirements: N/A

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ORPHANAGE VOLUNTEERING

Participate in a responsible orphanage volunteer placements and care for children from new born all the way up to 20 years of age and awaiting adoption. Provide valuable assistance and help around the homes.

Location: Nadi & Lautoka
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 18 Years (16 if accompanied by a Guardian/Parent)
Special Requirements: N/A

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KOROIPITA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CONSTRUCTION

Koroipita community is home to 263 families. With funding support we are now going to build an additional 105 homes. Help build new homes under the supervision of a local coordinator.

Location: Koroipita, near Lautoka
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 18 Years (16 if accompanied by a Guardian/Parent)
Special Requirements: N/A

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REMOTE ISLAND CONSTRUCTION

Why not give yourself a challenge this year?! Work on a beautiful and remote island in Fiji, on community construction projects. Work alongside skilled locals, building and renovating schools and community centres.

Location: Mamanuca Island ranges (1 hour ferry from Nadi)
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 18 Years (16 if accompanied by a Guardian/Parent)
Special Requirements: N/A

* Currently not running. Check back soon or join another exciting project!

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CULTURAL ORIENTATION WEEK, CORAL COAST

Each day on cultural orientation week is fun and educational! Learn about the local culture & norms, take part in cooking & Fijian language classes, and explore some of the beautiful local sights. A great add-on before your project starts, and to help yu settle in.

Location: Coral Coast (Sigatoka)
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 16 Years
Special Requirements: N/A

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SPORTS TEACHING

Assist local coaches in the sports academy program. Teach sport rules, play team games, and teach about disapline and respect in a sporting environment.

Location: Coral Coast (Sigatoka)
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 16 Years
Special Requirements: N/A

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HEALTHCARE, CORAL COAST

Teach simple lessons in basic hygiene and healthy living. Help towards the prevention of many avoidable health problems and easily communicable diseases by performing health checks and education to Fijian locals.

Location: Coral Coast (Sigatoka)
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 16 Years
Special Requirements: Medical professional or student

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21 DAY ROAD TRIP

Think tropical forests, coral white beaches, authentic Fijian culture, giving back to the local communities and loads of fun. An unforgettable journey! Enjoy both travelling through Fiji and volunteering in various places on this beautiful island. An adventure you won't forget.

Location: Suva, Ovalau Island, Levuka, Pacific Harbour
Start Dates: 1st & 3rd Monday each month (every Mon in July)
Min Duration: 3 Weeks
Min Age: 16 Years
Special Requirements: N/A

* Currently not running. Check back soon or join another exciting project!

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FIRST AID & DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Work with the local community to prepare and respond to disasters, community development, first aid, homeless and mental health assistance, vulnerable community assistance and emergency response programs in the Lautoka / Nadi regions.

Location: Nadi & Lautoka
Start Dates: Mainly Cyclone season (February  to April)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 18 Years (16 if accompanied by a Guardian/Parent)
Special Requirements: N/A

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HYDROPONIC GARDENS (FOOD SECURITY)

Hydroponic gardening can produce up to 9 times the yield of standard gardening while using 85% less water. Help with the construction, installation and ongoing running of this sustainable project.

Location: Lautoka
Start Dates: Weekly All Year Round (Sat/Sun Arrivals)
Min Duration: One Week
Min Age: 18 Years (16 if accompanied by a Guardian/Parent)
Special Requirements: N/A

* Currently not running. Check back soon or join another exciting project!

Testimonials...

Fiji

What's Included
  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Airport Pickup
  • Local Transportation
  • 1 Day Orientation
  • 24/7 In-Country Support
  • Project Materials & Equipment
  • Pre-departure Expert Advice
  • Preperation Tools & Checklists
  • Certificate of Completion

Fees

All prices in USD
  • 1 Week - $395
  • 2 Weeks - $555
  • 3 Weeks - $715
  • 1 Month - $895
  • 2 Months - $1545
  • 3 Months - $2195
Home Stays
All prices in USD
  • 1 Week - $995
  • 2 Weeks - $1250
  • 3 Weeks - $1410
  • 1 Month - $1570
  • 2 Months - $2233
  • 3 Months - $2880
Home Stays
All prices in USD
  • 1 Week - $450
  • 2 Weeks - $555
  • 3 Weeks - $815
  • 1 Month - $1095
  • 2 Months - $2395
  • 3 Months - $3575
Vol House

33 Years Experience

IVI is an Australian charity & non profit organisation founded in 1989 and is one of the pioneers of overseas volunteering successfully placing over 20,000 volunteers globally.  We accept volunteers from all over the world and place them in meaningful overseas missions.  

Affordable Volunteer Travel

We’re not motivated by shareholder profits.   Our fees are fully transparent to ensure maximum benefit where it is most needed. 

Safe & Responsible Projects

All projects include a dedicated 24/7 in-country management team, operational & risk assessment & overseas support contact.   All projects are personally inspected to ensure very high quality.
 

Work Experience & University Credits

We place thousands of Uni students and can assist you with course credits and in-field experience points.   Many of our project coordinators are qualified practitioners in their respective fields allowing unique in-field supervision and Uni accreditation options

Fiji is an incredible island nation in the South Pacific home to warm waters, beautiful scenery, unique culture and generous hospitality. With 15+ project options & 33 years experience, IVI have something that’s uniquely right for you. From conscious travelers to students, graduates and professionals live like a local and help give back with amazing 24/7 local care and support through our dedicated IVI Fiji Country Management.

An archipelago of 333 tropical islands, Fiji is one of the most developed Pacific Island economies however, a chronic lack in investment and under-employment pose obstacles to sustainable and equitable economic growth in Fiji.

More than 250,000 people in the Fiji islands live in poverty and many more Fijians live on or just above the poverty line. Efficient delivery in health care, in education, in work opportunities and other social services are incredibly difficult in Fiji.

A great disparity exists between the working class communities and the multi-national owned tourism resorts which represent approx 25% of Fiji’s Gross domestic product. Sadly, much of the wealth generated from this sector does not filter down to the local communities.

IVI have a well established program in Fiji build by local Fijian’s with in depth understanding of the local needs. We have a have a variety of skilled and non skilled volunteering options for anyone seeking to live like a local far away from the trendy monotonous tourist resorts.

Fiji enjoys a hot and humid climate year round. Average temperatures range from 25°C to 33°C.

May to October is considered one of the best time to visit, as it’s the dry season. The wet season is from November to April. The island will recieve heavy rain, but in short outbursts. In July and August, temperatures can fall to as low as 18°C, making it a pleasent time to visit for those who enjoy cooler weather! 

The Fijian people have a strong sense of their own culture and customs and highly developed sense of honor. The locals are generally very friendly and welcoming. Within Fijian villages, tribal alliances are still intact and money does not play a significant role in their daily lives. Visitors are not always accustomed to the slow work pace (they call it “Fiji time”). Do not worry too much about this, just go with the flow!

Nadi is the main tourist hub with lots of back-packers places and night life. It’s also well known for for Denerau Marina where many large 5 star resorts are and western style shopping. Denerau is the gateway to the Fiji islands, which is the most popular choice for most holiday goers’ to Fiji. We’ll likely take you here and show you around as part of the orientation or if you’re heading out to the remote island teaching placement.

Lautoka, located 20 min north of Nadi, is a lovely and safe working class harbour city with many areas to explore (eg. hiking trails, mud pools etc). You will be spending time in the working class areas where the genuine needs exist.

Suva, the largest city in Fiji is located in the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu and is a harbor city built on a peninsula reaching out into the sea. As the commercial hub of Fiji it’s not as touristy as the Nadi area and therefore you’re able to observe the authentic fiji lifestyle.

Coral Coast is noted as the ‘adventure capital of Fiji’ and is located about 1 hour from Suva and 1 hour from Nadi. It is known for it’s incredibly beautiful coast line, tourist beaches and resorts and heaps of activities from 4 wheel drive tours, shark feeding, surfing, rivers & waterfalls, golf etc and is home to the famous Bega lagoon and bega fire walkers. Sigatoka is the gateway to the Coral coast and home to several of our projects. 

We have a dedicated and experienced team on the ground and a large network of host families and ground operators in various parts of the country. Accommodation and Meals are included for the duration of your volunteer program. 3 meals a day on weekdays and 2 meals a day on weekends will be provided for the duration of your placement. Food will be mainly western style cuisine with a Fijian and Indian influence.

IVI’s Fiji Placements are broken into 2 types being Home Stays or Volunteer Centers:

Our Home Stay placements are mainly located in Lautoka and Nadi and surrounding islands & villages. Home Stays are a beautiful and affordable way to experience the authentic way of life. We guarantee friendly, safe and comfortable surroundings where you’ll be supported as much or as little as you need. If you’re concerned about living in someone else’s house, don’t worry! There will be other volunteers there with you (normally around 2 – 4 p/house). 

Our Volunteer House placements are located in both Suva and Sigatoka (Coral Coast). The Volunteer Houses are more social experiences and dedicated to those who want lots of social interaction with other volunteers.

Meals are served at your home stay or volunteer house each day or at the project site. Our host families take great satisfaction in feeding you well! Fijian portions tend to be very generous and you’ll have a good variety of options if staying on the mainland. Typical meals are as follows:

Breakfast – Wheatbix, cornflakes, bread, butter, tea, coffee, milo etc. Volunteers can choose to have eggs if they wish.
Lunch – Volunteers to prepare their own sandwich. Tuna, cold meat, salad, eggs. Some prefer to take left over dinner from the night before for lunch.
Dinner – Cooked meal (eg. stews, soups, curries, fish, roast vegetables, taro, sweet potato, bread, rice etc. Our host families are also fantastic cooks and love cooking for you!

The Home Stay placements involve a simple and effective orientation which includes a tour of the local area and an overview of the project including any necessary permits, paperwork and logistics. In most cases you will have 1 to 2 days to ease your way into the culture and settle into your new surrounds before commencing in your designated program.

The Volunteer Center placements also have a 1 day orientation or you can choose to do a dedicated orientation week to get you familiar with the Fijian culture. Orientation is hosted in either Suva or the Coral Coast depending on where you’ve chosen to stay. It begins on the first Monday morning of your volunteer program and includes an Introduction to Fiji, culture and customs, local excursions, cooking and art, rules and expectations, safety, introduction to the project and placement. 

For home stay placements, arrival and departure airport transfers are included in the cost of your volunteer program for a pick-up from Nadi to the Nadi / Lautoka areas. 

Transportation to/from your home stay to the placement each day is generally your responsibility, however your home stay family will assist you and ensure you receive local rates for any costs involved. We’ll place you as close as possible to the placement to limit daily travel times. Expect between 5-33 min each way for a small local transport fee (approx $2 p/day). Travelling by bus in Fiji is an experience of it’s own! 🙂

For volunteer center placements, an arrival airport transfer from Nadi to the Coral Coast or Suva is included for pick-ups on Sundays only. If arriving on other days, you’ll need to make your own way to the placement. 

If arriving on the Saturday, you’ll need to book an extra nights accommodation in advance at a cost of US$50 p/night including meals. Travel time by bus between Nadi and Suva is approx 3-4 hours, or 2 hours to Coral Coast. Local travel to the projects each day is included it the cost of the program fee.

Weekends are always free for relaxing or sightseeing of your choice. Our ground operators will help you organize additional trips with special (non tourist) rates which can be paid directly in local currency.

Volunteers based in Nadi & Lautoka can choose from a wide variety of options with Nadi being the main tourist hub for Fiji and the Fijian Islands.

Volunteers based in the Coral Coast can spend the weekends exploring Suva, visiting Colo-I-Suva or Mosquito Island and searching the craft and produce markets in Suva’s town centre. From Pacific Harbour you can organize activities, such as kayaking, white-water rafting, shark feeding, jet ski tours, zip lining and diving.

Would you like to raise money in order to afford your trip abroad to volunteer? Or perhaps you would like to set up a funraiser to gain enough money to give as a donation to the local project? Crowd funding is a great way to do this. Read this article on Crowdfunding tips to find out how you can raise funds for your trip.

 

Weekends & Extra Tours

Ready to Volunteer in Fiji?

Articles

Remote Island School Project Review from Fiji

One of the best things I’ve ever done! It was incredible to be involved in the school and spend time with all the children. Outside of school hours was able to spend lots of time with the locals and within the village, as well as exploring the island and surrounding islands. Comments on local team, food and accommodation All the …

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Fiji Nutrition Outreach & Kindy Program Reviews

Public health & nutrition project: I spent two weeks travelling around Fiji where I stayed in Lautoka, Suva, a village, and a resort – so lots of different accomodation styles. I was very lucky to have had such an amazing team to work with – they went from being a team of strangers, to becoming like a second family to …

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Fiji Public Health Outreach Review

We had a great team that worked very well together and supported each other. The experiences we had were amazing. It felt like a very worthwhile project where we were making a difference. We learnt that Fijians usually only seek medical assistance when something is going wrong. So the preventative checks that we were doing on blood pressure and blood …

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Fiji Sigatoka Kindergarten Review

WOW! What an amazing experience. I travelled with one of my friends, and we volunteered together at Shepards Learning Centre for two weeks. My favourite moments were when we taught the kids new songs, rhymes, dances and yoga. The Fijian culture is beautiful and I will treasure it forever. Comments on local team, food and accommodation The staff were amazing! …

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Fiji health nutrition program review

Highlights from my volunteering was visiting Tonia village, witnessing a sevusevu ceremony, performing health checks on the locals and being fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to go to a home visit. The care and warmth of the Fijian people is something I’ll never forget! I’m so grateful to Masi, Mere and Carrun for looking after the team. Comments …

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