Volunteer Eco Students Abroad)

Hi everyone,

I'd really appreciate your help, advice and possible guidance please.

Our 18 year old daughter has secured a place on the VESA (Volunteer Eco Students Abroad) programme emanating from University College, Derby. She is hoping to go to Fiji.

Does anyone know anything about the Fiji programme? (any data I've found on-line is sponsored by the actual company rather than individuals).

Are there any health precautions/vaccinations that would need to be activated before she travelled?

Does anyone have any other information, please, that might be of relevance.

Thanks in advance,

Kind regards.

Your daughter should visit a travel medical clinic to find out what medical precautions are needed. They will probably recommend Typhoid and Hep A and C coverage, but they know more than posters in a forum. The only other precaution I can think of is bug spray. There is no malaria in Fiji but there was an outbreak of Dengue Fever while I was there a few months ago and there is no preventative for that other than bug spray and wearing long sleeves; the mosquitoes tend to be out and about in the early morning, early evening and at dusk.

I second the mosquito repellant, the small mosquitos here have a stinging bite, and they often catch me unawares, that said she will love life in Fiji

LOL JP, me too. Everywhere else in the world mosquitoes tend to shy away from me. But not in Fiji, they LUV my ankles, the little sots!

Hi Reactarail,

Early this year I went on a volunteer trip to Fiji with VESA and loved it. This trip was fantastic, we did 1 weeks volunteer and 1 week island hopping. The volunteer part of the trip was by far the best and a real eye opener, staying in a fijian home with a family (which I still have contact with). The island hopping part was good, we stayed in basic dorm style accommodation. I recommend your daughter bring a good mosquito repellent, basic first aid kit and electrolytes (Not much access to that kind of stuff - However the team leaders do have some supplies). Anything else you would like to know?

not sure why you need electrolytes when fresh coconut water straight from the young coconut is available, I'd prefer it any day if I'm feeling a bit off color

I'm still going through coconut withdrawal ... need a fix, big time!