You are on page 1of 3

Fiji Hub Achievement Report

May 2016
Objective: Education

GVI reintroduces volunteer timetables and continues full time presence


at Navunisea District School

At the start of the second school term GVI Education staff met with teachers of Navunisea District
School to look at results from the previous term and discuss where volunteers could be of assistance to
their classes. With a team of eight dedicated volunteers GVI again began offering full time support to
classes one to six of the school. Restarting small group literacy and phonics tuitions, assistance with
maths lessons and delivering full PEMAC lessons has felt like a big step towards regaining normalcy for
the students of Navunisea District School as well as teachers and GVI volunteers. The hard work of GVI
Community volunteers in the rebuilding of the reading centre has meant students have an appropriate
learning environment to engage in their lessons.

Using reading results taken at the start of last term, GVI placed students into literacy groups with peers
who have similar learning goals. With a heavy need for comprehension and reading support, literacy and
phonics have become a large portion of GVI volunteers roles at NDS. Groups are seen for tailored
literacy lessons two to four times per week depending on the needs of the students. Students who

presented with mechanical reading


difficulties during testing have also
been receiving additional phonics
tuitions to assist them to get ahead in
this area. GVI volunteers have shown
incredible passion and creativity to
deliver interactive, engaging lessons
with very limited resources as GVI
continues to build up a base level of
reading resources. The students of
NDS have shown they have not lost
their willingness to learn and have
thrived on the routine these sessions
have added to their week.
Having been through their own personal trials in the recent months after Severe Tropical Cyclone
Winston, teachers at NDS have had a mammoth task in restarting formal, routine education for the
students in a very damaged environment. The support GVI volunteers have been able to offer classroom
teachers in this big step is something that has been very challenging but something all volunteers have
tackled with extreme energy and passion and something they should all feel pride in being a part of. The
PEMAC lessons that have been consistently delivered have not only taught the students new skills but
have been a big source of happiness and excitement for the students which has been a pleasure for
teachers and parents to see in the school. Again with very limited resources, GVI volunteers have shown
great innovation in delivering high quality, interactive lessons, for example using recycled food tins for
students to design, decorate and use their own musical instruments. While there is still a long way to go,
these lessons have been an important step in providing students with an outlet to express themselves
and encouraging teamwork to achieve goals.

While the loss of the GVI library


with all learning resources at
NDS was felt heavily by the GVI
Education team and the school,
the hard work of GVI volunteers
has meant the project has been
able to continue at an
impressive level. In between
lessons, GVI Education
volunteers have already begun
working to rebuild literacy and phonics resources. GVI Community volunteers rebuilt the reading centre
using wood taken from the destroyed structures on Babale Base. With tarpaulin walls and a beautiful

mural this has become a space for GVI volunteers to have as a base at school and more importantly, a
place where NDS students can be excited to come to learn.

UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. Its not.
-Dr. Seuss (The Lorax)
GVI; the community of Dawasamu District and Navunisea District School have been incredibly lucky to
have many caring GVI Volunteers, GVI staff and members of the community work so hard towards GVI
regaining a full presence at Navunisea District School. With this dedication shown by many people the
GVI education team are back working a full education project just two and a half months after Cyclone
Winston. Vinaka Vaka Levu.

You might also like