DAY 1 | Saturday: Arrive in Nadi

Your adventure begins today with your arrival in Nadi! Habitat will arrange your transfer from Nadi International Airport to your hotel, where you will have time to unpack and unwind. Take a walk to acquaint yourself with the city before returning to your hotel for dinner. You will meet Habitat for Humanity Fiji staff, who will give you a thorough orientation for the week ahead, including construction safety and building tips.

DAY 2 | Sunday: Explore the local area

Today, use your free time to relax or explore the local area. You may choose to enjoy some traditional Fijian activities, such as a dance or language class, basket or mat weaving. After some relaxing or exploring, the group will reconvene for dinner and share their excitement for the next day!

DAY 3 | Monday: Begin construction of the house

Arriving on the build site for your first day of construction, you’ll meet the family whose home you will be helping to construct and have the opportunity to learn about their stories. The construction supervisor and local labourers will show you the ropes, and you can start the house construction. There will be rest breaks for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, which will all be provided on-site. You can stop for a drink of water and a break as often as you need. Each night, we will take you to local restaurants, where you can unwind with the team. There is usually one evening during the week when you can make your own dinner plans, or catch up on rest.

DAY 4-6 | Tuesday – Thursday: Building with your teammates

You will see the new house take shape in the next few days and will be amazed at how much can be achieved in just one week. There are plenty of ways to contribute, from laying bricks to mixing cement and rendering walls. Wednesday afternoon is an opportunity to take part in locally-relevant and misison-driven activities which facilitate the sharing of cultures, ideas, practices and experiences between Global Village volunteers and community members. You might visit communities that have partnered with Habitat in the past and learn about the long-term developmental effects of these projects, or you may join local volunteers to mutually contribute to the cultivation of a shared garden in support of a community’s self-sufficiency goals. These organised moments of social learning and exchange are followed by opportunities for reflection in Talanoa sessions.

DAY 7 | Friday: The handover ceremony and farewell lunch

The final day of building is emotional for everyone involved. You will add the finishing touches to the house and maybe even some celebratory decorations. You will welcome the community partners to their new home and reflect together on the contribution that you have all made. This is the time to celebrate all your hard work and imagine the new life that the partner family will have in the home that you have built. Be sure to bring tissues for a day full of emotion. That evening is time to celebrate the team effort and the end of an incredible week.

DAY 8 | Saturday: Global Village concludes

Today you will depart for home or further adventures. You might like to combine your build with travel to other overseas destinations or indulge in some well-deserved rest and relaxation. Even as your build week concludes, the lasting life experiences will continue to fuel your commitment to championing safe and secure housing for everyone.

Lautoka City lies on the west coast of Fiji’s main island Viti Levu and is the country’s second largest city covering a land area of 1,600 hectares. In 2011, Lautoka City had approximately 44,500 people or 10 per cent of the country’s total urban population. An estimated 20,000 people live in informal settlements on the city periphery, Lautoka is confronting a range of challenges relating to urban poverty, environmental risk, infrastructure and land management, amongst others.

Typical Volunteer Tasks:

• Digging of holes for post

• Cutting of posts to size and wrapping of visqueen

• Drilling & spiking up the post

• Bracing of posts in holes

• Mixing and pouring of concrete

• Cutting & Fabricating of Panels

• Cutting and fabricating of windows and doors

• Putting up wall panels, bracing and strapping

• Hanging of doors and windows

• Putting up wall with corner battens

• Fixing of downpipes & other finishing work

Through peer-to-peer fundraising, Global Village volunteers contribute a program and build donation that will advance Habitat’s work in communities with the greatest housing needs. Build donations cover volunteer accommodations, meals and ground transportation. Crucially, the program donations also directly support Habitat’s housing programs in the countries.

Once you register for a this Global Village build, you commit to fundraising:

$3360 minimum fundraising target

What's Included

• Double Occupancy Accommodation
• All meals for the week
• Daily transportation to and from site
• Airport pick-up and drop-off
• Snacks and water
• All necessary building materials and safety equipment
• 24-hour support
• Insurance whilst on the build site

*What's Not Included

• Flights to and from Fiji
• Travel Insurance
• Visa
• Vaccinations

Meet your team leaders: Gary Haukeland and Dave Smith!

My name is Gary Haukeland! I have been volunteering with Habitat for Humanity since 2008 and have had the honor and privilege of serving and co-leading 13 Global Village Builds since then. I have met many new and amazing friends through our shared passion and enthusiasm for helping provide families with a decent place to live that they can call home. Learning about and respecting new cultures while making connections and working alongside homeowners and their community is incredibly rewarding.

This will be my second Global Village Build to Fiji, and I am very much looking forward to serving with the team and blessing another family with a home.

I was born and raised in Vancouver, where I am engaged in the commercial real estate business. When I am not working, I keep busy with my family, traveling, volunteering, and enjoying the many outdoor sporting activities the West Coast has to offer.

Vinaka vakalevu... see you in Fiji!

My name is Dave Smith!

I travelled to Fiji on my first Global Village Build back in 2015. On that build we met a family of four who was living in a makeshift "house" comprised of scraps of wood and metal, not fit for anyone to live in. But after a week of hard work that family finally had a safe and sturdy home to call their own. It was a life-changing experience for them and for all the volunteers on our team - myself included. Since then I've been part of 5 Global Village Builds around the world and am excited to return to Fiji this year.

I live in Vancouver, Canada with my wife (Lucy), daughter (Yuna), and a baby (on the way). We love the outdoors, volunteering at our church and in our community, and working on an assortment of entrepreneurial ventures.

Can't wait to see you in Fiji!

Global Village Frequently Asked Questions