Volunteer with VSA

Kia ora, Nisa Bula Vinaka and warm Pacific greetings,
  
Te Whāinga | Our Purpose is:

Te Hono Tangata - Te Huringa Ora.  

Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū. 

Connecting People – Transforming Lives. 

Volunteer Service Abroad connects skilled volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.  

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role:

This is your opportunity to become a VSA Volunteer to share your experience, skills and knowledge to serve and build capacity in Fiji. Work alongside our local partner organisation to plan and create a brighter future for all.

We are looking for a volunteer with knowledge in early education, the development of community programmes and project management or someone with the right level of transferrable skills, who shares the spirit of volunteering and has a keen interest in building capability in the Pacific.

This assignment will be based in Lautoka and projected to run for 9 months. The key goal for this assignment is that our partner organisation will have a comprehensive, community-led, and regulation-compliant, project proposal for a child-minding facility developed and approved by all relevant parties.

Please note that the VSA provides support by funding and organizing flights, visas, insurances, accommodation, living allowance and utilities while volunteers are deployed on assignment.
  
Ngā tino Pūkenga/Wheako – Essential skills/experiences for the role:

If you are interested in this opportunity, below are some of the key skills and experiences that we’re looking for.

• 3–5 years of experience in project planning, infrastructure development, or community service design.
• Experience conducting community needs assessments and translating findings into program or facility design.
• Qualifications in a relevant field such as Community Development, Project Management, Architecture, Planning, Education, or Social Work.
• Strong skills in report writing, proposal development, and documentation for stakeholder or donor approval.
• Familiarity with building or facility layout planning, especially for social or early childhood infrastructure.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office/Google Suite (especially Excel, Word, and cloud file management).

Our Partner Organisation – Model Town’s Charitable Trust:

Model Town’s Charitable Trust (MTCT) started as a Rota-homes Project in 1985, before registering as a Charitable Trust in 2002. MTCT manages a social housing programme “Koroipita village” as a model town. They work with over 1000 vulnerable residents to access safe homes, education, counselling, health services and life skills to increase economic growth opportunities with the target to advance out of the housing programme.

The Assignment:

Model Towns Charitable Trust (MTCT) is addressing a critical community need in Koroipita for accessible and affordable child-minding services to support parents—especially women and single caregivers—in pursuing employment and training opportunities. Following a community survey that highlighted strong demand for a formal child-minding facility (CMF), MTCT has secured funding to build a dedicated centre for children aged 0–5.
A volunteer deployed on this assignment will support MTCT in completing the planning and feasibility phase by facilitating a culturally relevant, community-led process that ensures compliance with national regulations and sector standards.
  
The Country – Fiji:

Fiji includes the other 3 cultural groups called Fijians -Rotuma, Rabi, and Kioa (Rabian and Kioans) were resettled in Fiji after being evacuated from Ocean islands, Tuvalu and Kiribati).

It is a destination attraction for its coral reefs, clear lagoons, and tropical landscapes. Fijian indigenous society is very communal, with great importance attached to the family unit, the village, and the vanua (land). With the introduction of traditions such as Indian and Chinese and significant influences from Europe and Fiji's Pacific neighbours, particularly Tonga and Samoa, these various cultures have come together to create a multicultural national identity for Fiji.
  
Fiji has several development goals they are focusing on as a country such as lowering youth unemployment rates, reducing poverty, reducing child mortality and gender inequality, increasing environmental sustainability, and improving the health and education status of its citizens. 
 
Me pēhea te tuku tono| How to apply:

Please apply for this opportunity through our website. For more information or if you have any questions on this assignment, you are welcome to email our recruitment team at: volunteer@vsa.org.nz. Noting that due to our VSA funding requirements, our volunteers must be a NZ citizen or NZ Permanent Resident to progress further in our recruitment process.
  
 
  

We are looking for a volunteer with:

• 12 Month Volunteer Assignment with the VSA in Fiji
• Flights, accommodation and other living expenses funded by VSA
• Transforming lives by empowering communities with shared skills and knowledge