Brisbane Teacher Discovers The 'Real' Fiji

Participants, Donna Crawford (middle back), Kelli Orrell (middle front), Amanda Edmonds (second from right) and Geoff Smith (far right) with group leader Ian Hunter (right back) and the staff of Nazareth Retreat Centre, Suva.

When most of us think of Fiji we think of the picture-postcard images put forward by the tourist industry: beautiful holiday resorts, warm beaches and perhaps a cocktail or two.

Brisbane teacher Kelli Orrell experienced a very different Fiji when she visited there as part of a cultural-immersion program in September and October.

Kelli - a Year 1, 2 and 3 teacher at St Francis College in Crestmead - and four other Queensland educators traveled to Fiji as part of Catholic Mission 's GIG (Getting Involved Globally) program. GIG challenges people to see, feel and act in a new way, providing unique opportunities for learning through experience. Catholic Mission is an international organisation and the global mission aid agency of the Catholic Church.

During their two-week stay the group visited schools, a maternity hospital, a leprosy hospital, a training college and an agricultural college. They also visited an Australian family who are working as lay missionaries.

"I wanted to go on the trip to experience another culture and work in the footsteps of someone else," the Holland Park resident said. "Where I work we have many Pacific Islander students and I wanted to experience the culture first-hand. After being in Fiji I understand some cultural aspects a lot more and can relate our cultural differenceS to my own experience."

The highlights of the trip are what Kelli described as "the simple things". "Watching children dancing, having a group of kids sing for you, walking down the road to villages and trying to learn the language on the way and generosity of the people."

Kelli said the most memorable part of her experience was the hospitality she was shown. "There is such a strong sense of love and togetherness when you walk into a Fijian home," she said. "The children are respectful of the parents and visitors and love to entertain. My host family's children sang to me on night and I was nearly in tears."