DGI FIJI 2018 - Students, Faculty & Staff Provide Tropical Storm Relief

While in Nativi, the students worked closely with the community on building projects and restoration: opportunities for service learning necessitated by the damage incurred in a recent tropical storm. Our immersion in the community and engagement through assorted building projects highlighted the (at times stark) material differences between our societies and required us to move well beyond our comfort zones. However, our stay in Nativi also underscored the possibility for deep connection and collaboration across cultural and geographic distances because it revealed a shared humanity and sense of compassion. The bond between the Dalton students and the residents of Nativi (especially the children) ran deep. The residents of Nativi welcomed us into their community in a profound, generous, and unforgettable manner.  Gratitude for this experience was mutual.

 

After an emotional goodbye at the end of our stay in Nativi, the Dalton contingent traveled to Takalana Bay in order to observe first hand a unique ecosystem consisting of a vibrant and vital living coral reef. Takalana is also home to a large pod of spinner dolphins, and students observed these directly. The experience in Takalana helped to illustrate the significance of environmental sustainability as this ecosystem is a fragile one and one in need of protection.

 

Overall, this was an amazing experience and spoke to the robust and vital mission of the DGI program.  

Story, photos, and video provided by chaperone and High School History Teacher Kevin Slick.