UPEI students join VESA program in Fiji

After recently hearing about the efforts of Volunteer Eco Students Abroad (VESA), two UPEI students, Kirsten Van Der Velden and Kyle Murphy have signed up to volunteer in Fiji in April.

The students will board with a Fijian family during their two-week volunteer journey. While in Fiji, they will aid an important sustainable community development project, where they will partake in daily tasks in conjunction with the villagers and the village chief. Some of the major issues the village faces include a lack of fresh running water, rundown schools and poor infrastructure, little to no education on conservation, sustainability, health and hygiene, and English proficiency.

Van Der Velden, an arts student at UPEI, can't wait to begin the volunteer initiative, 'I'm excited to experience another culture firsthand,' she said. 'I'm looking forward to really making a difference in their lives, and in my own as well.'

The UPEI team will be busy constructing and installing water catchments in villages that have no access to safe drinking water, refurbishing and painting schools and playgrounds, and developing English lesson plans to cater to both young and older Fijian children.

Fundraising efforts have been going well so far, with the group raising close to $5,000 to support their travel costs. Upcoming fundraising events include 'Fight for Fiji! Featuring The Downwalls with special guest Don Younie' at Baba's Lounge on February 11 from 10:00 pm-2:00 am, as well as a Halo tournament taking place on February 19 at 6:00 pm, at Microplay in Charlottetown.

For more information on these events, or to find out how you can help out, contact Kirsten Van Der Velden at (902) 394-6040 or kirsten.velden@gmail.com.

For information on VESA initiatives, http://www.vesabroad.com/.