My time volunteering in Fiji came to an end a few weeks ago, but I keep thinking about the beautiful country and the beautiful people I was lucky enough to meet.

Huge thank you to Pariza, Kim, Nick, Amanda, Trish and Athol, Sarah, Cameron, Sianne, Veina, Anne-Marie, Chris, Ed and Jasmine, Kate, as well as anonymous persons, for your support in donations and for your kind words of encouragement. With all your help, we were able to donate an epic total of AU$1070 (including some medical supplies) to Treasure Orphanage in Nadi, Visesei Medical Centre of Visesei Village, and the Lautoka Branch of Fiji Red Cross.

In addition, big thank you to Danielle of Elder St Pharmacy (Newcastle) who donated a box of eye ointment - at a crucial time when the all of Fiji was out of ointment and every second person on some of the islands had conjunctivitis. There were some reports of whole communities sharing one bottle of eye drops!

So what did I gain from this experience, and what did the people of Fiji gain?

I learnt...
- that wearing a set of scrubs in the tropics is a fairly uncomfortable experience
- that some people can not have very much and/or have lost it all yet still maintain a positive outlook on life
- you may expect to be useful in one way, yet make a difference through many other means along the journey
- about tropical infections, diseases; and medicine and strategies for minimising mosquito-related disease
- that I can be in a Dengue house and be bitten by a mosquito, yet not contract Dengue (winning)
- how to play epic card games like President and Trop Ten, and how to play Booooo!!
- how to efficiently dry, sort, and fold clothing for 23 children, and that all children, no matter what age, love to be read to
- not all dogs want to be my friends
- that kava doesn't taste... amazing
- if you have enough hands on deck, you can definitely move several mountains of stock
- that Fijian people are incredibly kind, generous, welcoming and other-centred

What Fiji gained…
- A junior doctor in the field who was very good at doing blood pressure checks, dressing basic wounds, and referring to the hospital
- conjunctivitis eye ointment
- well-wishes and donations from Australian brothers and sisters from across the Pacific
- a sympathetic ear when locals and villagers told me about their life, their roots, and the impact of recent natural disasters and current politics
- some cringe-worthy dance moves when I cut shapes on the DFloor
- and a friend for life

If you are ever interested in a similar volunteering experience, please feel free to chat to me. You’ll need to get used to Fiji time first ;-)