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8/3/2019 GVI Fiji Quarterly Report June-Oct 2011
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Global Vision International
2011 Report Series No. 001
GVI Fiji
The Yasawa Islands, Fiji
Quarterly Report 113
July October 2011
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GVI Fiji Yasawa June-October 2011
GVI Fiji Yasawa Program Report 113
Submitted in its entirety to:
Global Vision International
The Yasawa Trust Foundation
The Republic of Fiji Government, Western Division
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GVI Fiji Yasawa June-October 2011
Produced by
Daniel Lund Country Director
And
Andrea Bending Base Manager
Thomas Turpin-Jelfs Project Leader
Lauren Bird Project Leader
GVI Fiji, Tovuto Base
Email:[email protected]
Web page:http://www.gvi.co.ukandhttp://www.gviusa.com
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.gvi.co.uk/http://www.gvi.co.uk/http://www.gvi.co.uk/http://www.gviusa.com/http://www.gviusa.com/http://www.gviusa.com/http://www.gviusa.com/http://www.gvi.co.uk/mailto:[email protected]8/3/2019 GVI Fiji Quarterly Report June-Oct 2011
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GVI Fiji Yasawa June-October 2011
Executive Summary
GVI began working in partnership with The Yasawa Trust Foundation in Fiji in early 2011and launched volunteer operations on June 18 th. This is the first quarterly report to be
produced by GVI Fiji. This document details the establishment of The Fiji Expedition,
Construction, and Education programs formed in partnership with the Yasawa Trust
Foundation. The following programs and projects are currently ongoing in the Yasawas.
Rainwater Harvesting System Construction in the Yasawa Islands
Fiji Education/Childcare Program
Charitable Trust Operations in Fiji
Community Garden initiative
GVIs Community development initiatives have now been operating in the Yasawa Islands
for a total of four months.
The program to date has successfully achieved the initial goals set forth by our partners,
The Yasawa Trust Foundation. In the first instance the Construction program has
developed the methods, material requirements, and logistics required to successfully
install rainwater harvesting systems in remote Yasawan villages. Since project launch inJune, ten new systems have been installed and a significant number of infrastructure
improvements have been completed. The overall water capacity of three villages on
Nacula Island has been increased significantly by this initiative. In the second instance, the
Education program has become an integral part of Ratu Meli Schools daily operations due
to the permanent presence of our teaching assistants. GVIs volunteers act as a versatile
support resource for each class and its teacher.
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GVI Fiji Yasawa June-October 2011
The Yasawa Trust Foundation
The Yasawa Trust Foundation and Vinaka Fiji Program was established in 2010 to formalize and
further the work and economic assistance provided by South Sea Cruises, a privately owned tour
operator based in Fiji, to the people of the Yasawa Region.
The name of the assistance program Vinaka Fiji was chosen to reflect the two-way nature of the
relationship between those who operate and assist the Trust and the people of the Yasawas,
whose work it benefits.
The Trusts support is directed towards 4 key areas of need:
Water Power Education Health
The Trust has utilised the Ba Provincial Councils District Plan to assist in the prioritisation and
planning of their support.
The Yasawa Trust and GVI starting working in partnership in early 2011 to accomplish
these goals.
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GVI Fiji Yasawa June-October 2011
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... i
The Yasawa Trust Foundation......................................................................................... ii
Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... iii
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1
2. Rainwater Harvesting System Construction in the Yasawa Islands ............................. 2
2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 2
2.2 Objectives ......................................................................................................... 3
2.3 Methodology ..................................................................................................... 3
2.4 Achievements ................................................................................................... 5
Community Gardens........................................................................................ 8
The International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance................................................ 9
2.5 Review .............................................................................................................. 9
3. Fiji Education/Childcare program ............................................................................... 12
3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 12
3.2 Objectives ....................................................................................................... 13
3.3 Activities and Achievements ........................................................................ 15
3.4 Review ........................................................................................................ 19
4. Published Material ..................................................................................................... 21
5. Appendices ............................................................................................................... 23
5.1 Education Program Documents ................................................................... 23
5.2 Maps and Diagrams...................................................................................... 29
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1. Introduction
The Yasawa Trust Foundation and GVI have been developing interconnected initiatives
that have been defined by a holistic approach to community support and development.
The remote island communities of the Northern Yasawas struggle with the upkeep and
implementation of basic infrastructure. Fresh drinking water becomes scarce during the
dry season and in many cases the unreliable sources are unable to safely support village
populations. Local schools have difficulty with staffing and lack basic resources and
facilities. In most cases student performance is poor and pass rates low. Health facilities
are understaffed, lack resources, and struggle to support the needs of the local
community. Villages rely upon diesel powered generation for electricity which is expensive
and unsustainable. The culmination of these issues with water, education, health, and
power is an overall restriction on youth opportunities and education, adverse effects on
community health and nutrition, a lack of employment and means of income, and as a
result many villages have suffered both socially and economically.
The presence of volunteers in the Yasawas has been used as a way to bring both human
and material resources to these villages in a sustainable and productive way. This
interaction has opened up more possibilities for positive development, infrastructureimprovement, educational enrichment, and environmental awareness.
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2. Rainwater Harvesting System Construction in the Yasawa Islands
2.1 Introduction
In the Northern Yasawa Island chain access to safe drinking water is limited. These
volcanic islands have limited natural water catchment due to the porous nature of the
bedrock. Many villages rely upon a number of different water sources by utilising seasonal
wells, boreholes, and rainwater collection. Water shortages in the northern Yasawas are
exasperated and become critical during, what can be, a six month dry season, May-
October. During periods of drought, the Fiji government has in the past, been required to
send drinking water to the islands via barge after wells and water tanks have run dry.
The collection of rainwater as a source of drinking water is practiced by villages throughout
the Yasawa Island chain and throughout the Republic of Fiji. It is a safe and reliable way to
source drinking water. However, without sufficient collection capacity, appropriate
materials, long term water management plans, system upkeep, filtration, and a system of
water reserves, villages become particularly vulnerable to severe water shortages,
especially during the dry season.
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In early 2011, The Yasawa Trust Foundation identified 27 Yasawan Villages that had
ongoing problems with water security. The Yasawa Trust Foundation requested assistance
from GVI in the design, setup, and implementation of a volunteer powered water security
improvement program. In February 2011, GVI carried out a number of village water
security assessments in the Northern Yasawas to look at ways that a program could be
designed to support the initiatives and goals of the Yasawa Trust Foundation. In June
2011, GVI established and opened Tovuto Base on Nanuya Lai Lai Island and launched
operations on 18th June 2011.
2.2 Objectives
The Construction program aims to alleviate water security issues in the Yasawas by
providing long term solutions to village water problems. The secondary aim of The
Construction program is to create community vegetable gardens using methods that
enable villagers to grow a greater variety of green vegetables in order to improve nutrition
and provide an alternative source of income.
2.3 Methodology
The construction team carries out the following steps in order to accomplish the aims of
this program.
a) Village Assessment: volunteers carry out a full audit of the existing water
infrastructure in the village. During these assessments the team presents an
offering of Kava to the village Chief and his headmen in order to respect the
traditional protocols for village entry. The team is usually accompanied by the
Turaga Koro (headman of the village), a member of the Yasawa Trust board of
trustees, and a representative from The Fiji Water Authority. During this fact findingperiod volunteers note down information on the water sources in use, the overall
population, the number of existing water tanks, the condition and functionality of
these tanks, and list of required improvements. The population and current
rainwater collection capacity of the village is then applied to the Yasawa Trusts
requirement model of 5 litres per person per day during the 6 month dry season.
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After collecting this data and applying the results to the 5litre model the data is
collated and information on the required improvements and capacity deficit is sent
to the trust in a report.
b) Yasawa Trust Foundation Directives: After all assessment data has been collated
this information is passed through to the Yasawa Trust Foundation board of
Trustees who in turn provide information on the materials that will be made
available for infrastructure improvements.
c) Material Purchasing and Deployment: Materials are then ordered accordingly and
deployed to the islands via barge.
d) Volunteer construction crew deployment: The construction team travels to the
village in question once permission to begin operations is given by Village elders.
Volunteers engage in a variety of different tasks and activities. The main tasks are
as follows:
a) Preparation and deployment of materials from base to work site
b) Guttering improvements. Gutters are removed, replaced, re-pitched to
improve water collection efficiency
c) Cement base construction: cement bases for plastic tanks are mixed and
poured by hand using a 4 part gravel, 2 part sand, and 1 part cement mix.
d) New tanks are transported to the village and installed on cement bases.
e) New guttering systems are pitched and installed on suitable roofs and
connected to new tanks.
f) Basic 20 micron filters are installed as part of the RWH system and tested.
g) Lockable taps are installed after the filter.
h) Mesh is installed in expansion head to prevent debris from entering the
system.
i) Tanks, gutters, and roofs are cleaned to ensure a safe collection surface.
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j) Local headman and those in charge of water tanks are shown how to check
and use the filter system and advised on the benefits of locking tanks pre-
dry season to create a backup reserve of drinking water. Additionally, water
management workshops will be run in each village at the beginning of
December 2011 and throughout 2012.
k) Volunteers are trained in all areas of the process from correct use of
ladders and hammers to basic plumbing technics, adhesive use, and
cultural protocols that must be adhered to whilst working in local villages.
e) All materials used and improvements completed are logged by an appointed
person and then complied in a report by the Project Leader which is then passed to
the Country Director and Yasawa Trust Foundation Managers.
2.4 Achievements
Since June the Construction program has successfully installed ten new rainwater
harvesting systems and carried out significant rainwater system collection efficiency
improvements across three villages. It is estimated that when factoring in both efficiency
improvements and new capacity added through new installs this initiative has been able to
add around 110,000litres rainwater holding capacity in four months of operations. This
amount does not include efficiency improvements that we have been unable to value in
relation to liters collected and have therefore been marked n/ain the table below. Some
The Government is indeed grateful for the work that your team has
embarked on in partnership with Yasawa Trust Foundation in the
installation of water tanks that we supplied to Nacula Village. The
improvement to existing water tanks and roof catchments is a great
help to the communities. In the short visit we were able to witness thegreat work done and how the team had blended well with the students
at the school and the community as a whole.
Ruth Atu, District Officer
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basic calculations in relation to gutter length and surface area have been used to evaluate
other improvement maintenance that has been completed.
Village Name Nacula
Population 175
Existing Capacity 391800 litres
Capacity in use prior to operations 314400 liters
Total Capacity Deficit
capacity sufficient, required efficiency
improvements and tank connections
Capacity added by program 37,400 litres
Location Improvements Completed Capacity Added
Main Church (YTF1) New System. Base, guttering, tank, filter system 10,000 litres
Western Edge (YTF2) New System. Base, guttering, tank, filter system 10,000 litresHealth Centre (YTF3) New System. Base, guttering, tank 5,200 litres
Catholic Church New guttering 5,000 litres
Zacharias House New guttering 2,000 litres
Ratu Meli School (YTF4) New System. Base, guttering, tank, filter system 5,200 litres
Ratu Meli School (YTF5) New Base n/a
Village Name Nisisilli
Population 300
Existing Capacity 448400 litres
Capacity in use prior to operations 228400 litres
Total Capacity Deficit 49100 litres
Capacity added by program 48000 litres
Location Improvements Completed Capacity Added
Community Hall, YTF7 New System. Base, guttering, tank, filter system 10000 litres
Community Hall, YTF8 New System. Base, guttering, tank, filter system 10000 litres
House #8 Yasawa Trust 9 New System. Base, guttering, tank, filter system 5,200 litres
House #27 Yasawa Trust 10 New System. Base, guttering, tank, filter system 5,200 litres
House #57 Yasawa Trust 11 New System. Base, guttering, tank, filter system 5,200 litres
House #69 Yasawa Trust 12 New System. Base, guttering, tank, filter system 5,200 litres
House #29
Re-pitched guttering to maximise catchment,
installed 10mmx50mm netting in expansion
head, re-glued 2xMS5EA joiners n/a
House #47 installed new diversion plumbing n/a
House #55 guttering repaired n/a
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House #58 re-pitched guttering to maximise catchment n/a
House #78
all guttering replaced, installed netting in
expansion head, sealed downpipe entry into
tank n/aHouse #81 installed complete diversion guttering system n/a
House #52 base constructed n/a
Village Name Malakati
Population 148
Existing Capacity 77600 litres
Capacity in use prior to operations 42,200 Rainwater, 10,400 Spring water
Total Capacity Deficit 82450 litres
Capacity added by program 18,200 litres in process
Location Improvements Completed Capacity Added
Kindergarten, YTF7 Cement base constructed, guttering installed awaiting tank
Village Church, YTF13 Cement base constructed, guttering installed awaiting tank
Community hall new guttering and diversion system installed 3,000 litres
GVIs construction program in the Yasawa Islands has become a known and valued
initiative in the Northern end of the island chain. We frequently receive calls from village
headmen with questions regarding water and requests to assist the villages with further
maintenance. Our introduction of filter systems and emphasis on the importance of
lockable taps as a way to regulate water usage during the dry season have been well
received and progress is being made with regards to water management education and
awareness. At the end of November 2011, GVI and YTF representatives will work along
side government officials in the villages to deliver a series of workshops relating to water
management and new agriculture approaches.
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Community Gardens
The construction team has built two community gardens since program launch. The first
garden was built as a prototype and is located on Tovuto base. The garden is built on a
raised soil box and sheltered from strong UV rays using shade nets. The team has
successfully been able to grow a variety of green vegetables including, green beans,
lettuce, cucumber, green peppers, and Chinese cabbage. A second large community
garden was built at Ratu Meli School and the education program will be working in the
upkeep of this garden into the weekly school curriculum. By trialing the use of small
rainwater collection tanks and irrigation piping, we hope to prove the viability of new
agriculture as a source of alternative income and nutrition to a greater extent in 2012.
Tovuto Base Vegetable Garden
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The International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance
GVI joined the International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance in May
2011. This organisation serves as a resource pool for organisations
and individuals world-wide involved with RWH as a solution to water
shortage and as a sustainable resource. Since joining the Alliance
GVI Fiji has been actively contributing to the forum with video posts
and blog updates and we have recently submitted a number of
photos to the Raindrops Award photo competition. Furthermore,
there are plans for GVI Fiji to contribute a number of articles to the
IRHA news paper charting the progression of our Rainwater
Harvesting Initiatives here in Fiji. The IRHA has connected the Fiji
programs to a wider international knowledge base and provided
both staff and volunteers the opportunity to understand our work on
an international scale and as part of a world-wide solution.
2.5 Review
The International Rain
Harvesting Alliance (IRHA)
created in Geneva in Nove
2002 following recommend
formulated during the World S
for Sustainable Developme
Johannesburg two months e
The mandate called for
federation and unification o
disparate rainwater harv
(RWH) movement around the
to promote rainwater as a va
water resource and to bui
achievements in this field fo
fulfillment of the Mille
Development Goals.
In partnership with the most em
organisations and individuals
field, the IRHA provides a lob
and advocacy platform for RW
supports the growth of
solutions to water supply proble
also provides a forum fo
members to work together or
experiences, and thus for the b
of people living with water scarc
www.irha-h20.org
It is very much rewarding to see how Rainwater harvesting practice starts
to be better understood and implemented. I visited your websites and I
found the same sensitivity as we have about the physical and moral
growing up of the young generation. Your activity in Fiji could be a good
example for many islands in the world where rain becomes an extremely
important water resource.
We are welcoming your wish to become an organization member of theIRHA. Again, it will be a strong message that rainwater should be betterdeveloped in similar conditions.
Vessela MontaExecutive DirectorInternational Rainwater Harvesting Alliance IRHA
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GVI Fiji Yasawa June-October 2011
Over the past four months the GVI construction team has carried out base line
assessments in nine villages and begun construction operations in three villages: Nacula,
Nisisilli, and just recently, Malakati. As detailed in the methodology description above, the
teams task list is dictated by a process of assessment and review which is completed by
GVI, The Yasawa Trust, and the Fiji Government. This collaboration has enabled us to
utilize the resources available as efficiently as possible whilst maximizing the use of
volunteer labour hours. It has been important to tailor make our daily operations based on
volunteer numbers, materials available, and transportation logistics.
Running a small volunteer powered construction company in a remote location in the
South Pacific is no easy task and the team has spent time designing the logistics to makethis work possible on a continuous week-to-week basis. From project conception, through
to system design and test, first volunteer deployment, and the continuous duties involved
with culturally sensitive and productive community liaison these months in the field have
been packed full with a variety of challenges. The challenges have brought even further
emphasis on our achievements which are now at the point of moving from small scale to
visually recognisable. Villagers have become accustomed to using, and now appreciate,
the filters installed on new tanks that were quite alien when introduced in June. The
systems provided by the Yasawa Trust and installed by GVI are installed to a highstandard with secure diversion plumbing and efficient collection guttering. Though there
have thankfully been few problems with water borne illness in the Yasawas there have
been a number of times when our assessments have found dead rodents inside rainwater
systems. As a result, the new systems installed have fixed lids and mesh covering the
The Villagers are very happy that there is now more capacity for
water. The impact of having volunteers here has changed our
mindset of how we use our water. It has helped having the work
coordinated; the village boys are working in with the volunteers. I
would like to thank you very much for this; I didnt dream this
would happen here.
Ratu Apenisa Sivo Vunikoro, Nisisilli Village Chief
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expansion head to keep out rodents. Water filters must be checked monthly to monitor
filter health.
Completed Filter System
As we draw closer to the end of 2011, GVI and the Yasawa Trust have discussed ways to
continue to maximise our ability to successfully make lasting water infrastructure
improvements through the combination of hands on physical improvements and education.
It is clear that it is only through the delivery of both education and material resources thatwe can have a lasting impact. As our operations progress and our knowledge and
relationships in the Yasawas grow and improve, we hope to continue to highlight the
productive nature of the cooperative effort between local people, local government,
volunteer human resources, and the support of private business.
Its been a big help to the village. Before we had
private tanks, but owners were not so good at
sharing, (its) better with the community tanks
Vinaka Fiji has come & put in the 2 big tanks, we are
now using them and all are benefiting from them
Mr. Sakaraia, Nacula Village Spokesman
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3. Fiji Education/Childcare program
3.1 Introduction
It was evident from the onset of GVIs assessment as to the feasibility of volunteer
operations in the Yasawa Island in support of the varied goals of the Yasawa Trust
Foundation that our approach needed to be a holistic one. The Yasawan village
communities, many with populations of just over a hundred people, are fairly well
organised, self sufficient, traditional, and intimate places which due to both remoteness
and lack of income- are in need of support with basic infrastructure (water, power) and rely
upon poorly funded and managed health facilities and educational institutions. Ratu Meli
Memorial School on Nacula Island demonstrated a profile that could immediately benefit
from a permanent volunteer support presence.
Ratu Meli Memorial School, referred to herein as RMMS, is a government run primary
school with 152 pupils (ages 3-14) and 9 full time teachers. 132 of these pupils are in
classes 1-8, 20 are Kindergarteners, and 60 students board at the school 5 days a week.
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The boarding students are from four surrounding villages. Being a government school,
RMMS follows the national curriculum, delivered in English, and is supported by a local
committee from Nacula Village headed by Ratu Apeli high chief of this region of the
Yasawas.
The teachers of RMMS live in the school compound with their families and are on call for
boarding students 24/7. It is evident that many of the teachers have minimal qualifications
and struggle, in some cases, to deliver the curriculum in what is not their native language.
There have also been ongoing issues with poor teacher attendance and lack of class
supervision. Furthermore the school has limited resources and poor facilities despite being
a government institution. RMMS has had ongoing problems with poor pass rates, drop
outs, and low scores on national exams. It is evident that the standard of education
delivered by RMMS falls short of national standards.
When approached with the option of volunteer support RMMS staff responded very
positively and the first volunteers began assisting teachers in June 2011.
3.2 Objectives
The primary objective of the Fiji Education program is to establish a closely knit
relationship with RMMS and its community through a long term, ongoing volunteer
presence at the school. Volunteers are paired with teachers and work to support both the
class and its teacher through classroom management, administration, and the provision of
extra educational resources and activities. The continued interaction with English speaking
volunteers has been successful in improving English language aptitude and volunteers
focus on the one-on-one support needed to improve general literacy and numeracy as well
as creative skills of RMMS students. Ultimately, reducing the inequality of education
standards between what is delivered in the Yasawas and what is delivered on the
mainland.
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Completed Objectives this quarter
Focus on building a relationship with the local community, school committee andteaching staff at RMMS
Offer every teacher in the school volunteer support
Develop and implement a system for monitoring and recording progress as well as
building individual student profiles.
Implementation of a holiday school program across 4 villages
Execution of the first GVI Fiji charitable trust initiative to improve standards of
RMMS dormitories
Development of a Kindergarten program for 3-5 year olds to prepare them for class
1
Objectives Next quarter
Develop a reading program for junior classes (class 1-3). Increase the time the
pupils spend reading one-on-one with volunteers in order to improve reading
levels.
Establish a one-on-one tuition program to support those pupils with learning
difficulties.
Continue to improve the system used to monitor the progress of the pupils.
Offer additional support to pupils who are excelling in math and English across
classes 4-8
Build a relationship with new headmistress and hold more regular meetings
between staff and GVI to discuss progress and set goals.
Continue to raise awareness of the Charitable trust work towards the goal to build
a Kindergarten and improve overall facilities (toilets blocks, dorms, classrooms)
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3.3 Activities and Achievements
Methodology
Arrival on base - H&S, tour of base, cultural orientation, education program training
Introduction to school, outline of their time on the project, tips on lesson planning
and class management. Volunteers are then provided with a folder containing up to
date progress reports for the class they will be supporting. The folder also includes
an introduction to the class, a curriculum resource list, timetable and the progress
forms from previous volunteers. This resource enables the volunteer to learn more
about the pupils and their needs.
Arrival at school starts with a welcome assembly in which the new volunteers are
introduced to the whole school. The volunteer is then taken on a tour of the school
facilities before being introduced to the class they will be teaching. During the first
week the volunteers will also visit Nacula village where they will be prepared a
traditional Fijian lunch.
Progress forms - Volunteers are required to fill out lesson plans for music, art and
P.E weekly. Every 2 weeks volunteers are expected to complete individual student
progress forms and then meet with the Education Project Leader to discuss the
progress of their class and set future goals. Additionally, before leaving the
volunteers fill out a Departure Summary. This form is designed to provide the new
volunteer with any additional information required to make the transition between
volunteers smooth and ensure that they can continue to build on the progress
already made. Volunteers provide information about successful teaching
methods/activities, established routines, ongoing projects and any additional advice
which is relevant. All progress forms and lesson plans are filed in class folders and
handed over to next volunteer.
Debrief in the evening after school reflect on the day and discuss any
achievements or issues before discussing plans for the following day.
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Progress so far
Prior to GVIs presence at RMMS, the Kindergarten, which does not have its own space or
classroom and is usually held in the assembly hall, had very little structure and recently no
teacher at all for almost two weeks.
Over the past months the Education program has worked very hard to provide much
needed structure and support for kindergarten aged children. A daily routine has been
implemented and pupils are developing social, communicative and basic pre-academic
skills in preparation for Class 1. The numbers attending Kindergarten have gradually
increased since the beginning of the project. Due to the varied ages, 3-5 years old, that
attend kindergarten it can be very difficult to unite the different age groups and abilities
with the same task. By having 1-2 volunteers in class to support the teacher, the groups
can successfully be divided by age and in doing so daily routines can be tailor-made to be
more appropriate for each age group. This has added significant value to the daily lessons.
GVI volunteers have been assisting in all classes at RMMS and we continue to have the
volunteer numbers to ensure this. Both the staff and the pupils have welcomed us into the
school and volunteers are now established as part of the school and its operations. We
have successfully started monitoring the pupils on an individual level in order to meet their
needs more effectively on a one-on-one basis. Volunteers are also able to provide
resources previously unavailable at the school which has been particularly beneficial to the
creative development of the pupils.
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Charitable Trust
Using funds raised through the GVI Charitable Trust (www.gvi.org) we have carried out
basic renovations on the dormitories at the school to make them a much safer and
comfortable environment for the children. The program has successfully rallied support of
GVI Charitable Trust initiatives at RMMS. We are currently distributing relevant information
to a number of potentially large donors. The GVI Fiji Charitable Trust is currently raising
funds to build a kindergarten building for RMMS. We have raised almost 900 of the
6,500 target.
Children of the Sun: holiday school program
During the school holidays, the Education program has run a holiday school in four of the
local villages over a period of two weeks. Volunteers travel to each village for two days
and run a program of creative enrichment activities and games from 8:30-12:30. During
the last holiday period, GVI volunteers travelled to Nacula, Nisisilli. Navatua, and Malakati
village. Children of all ages took part in sports contests, arts and crafts projects, games,
treasure hunts, and other activities. During school holidays most children receive little
supervision and this program was successful in both building our relationship with the
villages and also providing children with an exciting, different, and educational way to
spend their free time.
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Accreditation Legal Permission to Assist
The Yasawa Trust and GVI Fiji have been granted official permission from the Ministry of
Education to assist in Government run schools. This is vital to ensure the long term
viability and success of the program.
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3.4 Review
GVIs relationship with Ratu Meli Memorial School has evolved very quickly and both the
students and teachers of Ratu Meli Memorial School have been receptive to the new
resource of volunteer support. In many cases, this extra support has opened up new
scope for the way the day is organised and activities and lessons delivered with volunteers
able to take responsibility for different aspects of the daily workload. As the programs
main prerogative has been to support the teachers of RMMS enabling them to better utilise
time and resources towards the provision of the national curriculum, it has been important
for Project Leaders to get direct feedback from these teachers. Head teacher, Mr. Manoa
and Mr. Saki (class 8) provided the following comments:
"The school, children and community feel very fortunate to be helped by the members of GVI. Thechildren love being taught by the volunteers, they are able to speak English all the time and theybring many new interesting activities.
We also thank GVI for carrying out maintenance on our school dorms. Without their help this wouldnot have happened. Now the dorms are much brighter and safer for the children."
Mr. Manoa, RMMS Head Teacher
"The GVI volunteers have eased the workload on all the teachers and we enjoy their company inthe classroom. They come up with creative ideas for lessons that are beneficial to the teachers andpupils."
Mr. Saki (class 8)
With the introduction of one-on-one tuition for both students in need of extra support and
students who demonstrate high performance in the classroom and a new system of one-
on-one reading sessions with students to help improve reading ability and Englishaptitude, volunteers have a very personal hand in the support of students. One-on-one
support was not a possibility with the ratio of students to teachers previously. It is this
element of the current program which will not only enable volunteers and teachers to
monitor individual performance but will also enable volunteers to tailor-make enrichment
activities and support sessions for these students.
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One-on- one tuition
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4. Published Material
Excerpt from article published in November 2011, International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance
Newsletter
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Clipping from Fiji Sun National Newspaper article:
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5. Appendices
5.1 Education Program Documents
Documentation examples
Sample Student Profile Form
STUDENT Adi
CLASS 5
WEEK 9
VOLUNTEER Lauren
WORK HABITS Needs
Attention
Acceptable Very Good Excellent
Class Behaviour X
Effort X
Attendance X
ENGLISH
Overall progress
She does well in class, working independently and often
finishing first. Adi scores well in spelling and is good at
creative writing. She can also recognise more complex
mechanisms such as synonyms and antonyms.
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Areas for
improvement/future
learningAlthough Adi reads well she struggles with English
Comprehension, only passing her mid-year exam by 1
mark. Although she is a competent reader, she may not
fully understand what she is reading.
What can we do to
support this pupil?As with the whole of class 5, more practice of
comprehension exercises is needed. Reading with Adi
one-on-one and asking questions about the content
throughout would make a big difference.
MATHEMATICS
Overall progress
Adi is one of the smartest students and she can usually
complete all math tasks unassisted. She is competent at
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. She is
also able to tell the time and calculate measurement
conversions.
Areas for
improvement/future
learningWork on mental arithmetic, particularly addition and
multiplication. Advancing to more complex mathematics
would also keep her stimulated in class.
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What can we do to
support this pupil?
Adi would benefit from being given some extra work and
could be taken out of the class to work on some more
advanced mathematics with a volunteer. Currently shefinishes her work first and then shares her answers
around the class which is a problem. She is eager to
learn and I think would be very receptive to extra tuition.
Volunteer handover summary
Departure Summary
This form is designed to provide the new volunteer with any additional information
not covered in the weekly progress forms or the student profiles. Please provide
the information required to make the transition between volunteers smooth and
ensure that they can continue to build on the progress you have already made
Example Form:
Are there any areas of study that the new volunteers should work on? Can
you suggest any future goals?
English composition is a big problem area in Class 4. Students struggle forming
sentences on their own. In general, students grammar and spelling is poor. They
struggle with verb tenses and singular/plural. Students may have an idea of what to
write, but they struggle translating their thoughts into strong sentences. Students
punctuation is poor. They often forget periods (full-stops). Many do not even know
what commas, apostrophes, semicolons are, let alone how to use them. The ability
to write English is very important and should be a primary focus for these kids next
year and beyond.
Reading and English comprehension are also vital to their educations, and many
kids struggle in these areas, as well. There is a large gap in reading abilities
between the strongest and weakest kids in the class. The strongest kids can read
basic passages easily, but the weakest students have a lot of difficulty reading any
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sentence. We have identified the students who are having the most trouble in
these areas. They should be given as much extra help (individual sessions) as
possible. Hopefully these sessions will help increase their confidence.
Students in general perform better in Maths. They also seem to enjoy the subject
more. Long division is a big problem. Students have difficulty conceptualizing
division and multiplication and consequently they dont do well in these areas.
In terms of future goals, I think exposing the students to things that are happening
in the outside world is a great thing. Fijian education seems very sheltered from the
rest of the world.
Can you recommend any successful activities/teaching techniques/delivery
methods?
The students love arts and crafts. Arts and crafts are a nice way to break up the
subjects. Students will lose interest and complain if the teachers work them too
hard. Arts and crafts alsohelp improve kids creativity. Face painting was also
very successful. This can be a stressful activity for the volunteers. The kids will
fight for specific colours and will crowd the volunteers as they are painting their
faces.
Successful activities that are more academic-based include hangman, times-
tables, and Words of the Day.
I think teaching with enthusiasm is the most important thing. The energy you showas a teacher is contagious and the students generally respond positively to it. If you
show up to class tired and uninterested in teaching then the students will most
likely not engage themselves in whatever you are teaching.
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Are there any established routines or ongoing projects that the new
volunteer should be aware of?
We have begun a Wordof the Day and Country of the Day lessons. For Word of
the Day we have picked one word for each letter of the alphabet and we quizzed
the kids on the words. The new volunteers in Class 4 can begin at the beginning of
the alphabet again and perhaps give them a quiz every two weeks. The Country of
the Day sessions havent been as successful but they are still worth doing. We
pick countries using the encyclopaedia and we teach the students interesting facts
about each country. So far we have covered France, UK, US, China, Australia,
New Zealand.
Please provide some feedback on the teacher and their expectations of you
in class?
Mr. Manoa is the Class 4 teacher and headmaster. He has been absent from class
for the past two weeks. He shows some promise as a teacher when he is in the
classroom, but he is rarely ever in the class.
Any general advice for the new volunteer
Stay as patient as possible. This is a very difficult class to manage. Rely on your2nd volunteer for help. Take turns instructing the class. One person could instruct
the class while the other takes a few students for extra help in reading, writing, etc.
Bring as much energy as possible every morning. Try to get a good night sleep
during the weeknights so you are prepared in the morning. Plan the day as much
as you can, but be flexible because the kids will often cause you to deviate from
the plan.
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Graduating Class 8 yearbook example
Produced by students and volunteers.
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5.2 Maps and Diagrams
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Ratu Meli School
Nacula Village
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Rainwater Harvesting System diagram
Basic Filtration system
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Guttering pitch
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