Maldivian Antips are ridiculously spoilt!

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Community Healthcare
WRITTEN BY: Erin Smith

There is no doubt about it, us Maldivian Antips are ridiculously spoilt! We have had yet another fantastic week in paradise with so many of us having unique stories to share.

The weekend here falls on Fridays and Saturdays and each time we are treated with a totally different experience to the ones we have every day. Last Friday we trekked out to an uninhabited island where we were free to snorkel and relax to our hearts content. We even sampled some local cuisine, sweet lips; an overly large, remarkably delicious fish, barbecued to perfection. The following day we jetted off to a local resort where we were allowed access to a hotel room, 2 pools and the restaurant and bar. It was the perfect way to unwind after a long, hot week and we are immensely looking forward to the upcoming weekend.

Rowing training began and is run by a English boy named James. Occasionally we head down to give him a hand and help out where we can. It is so great to see so many teenagers involved, particularly teenage girls who are usually expected to dedicate their lives to preparing for a family. Swimming lessons have kept us all extremely busy this week. With two lessons running a day, both morning and night, we are able to teach over 50 students a day. Being able to teach these children such valuable life skills reinforces the reason why we are here. We are, however, now requiring tactical 30 minute naps between school and swimming but you win some, you lose some.

For us at Sharrafuddin this week has been a bit jumbled. Most of us have been moved classes in order to maximize our skills and the impact we can have. We had been concerned the previous week that we weren't able to contribute as much as we hoped. Brooke and Megan have both been moved to separate grade 2 classes and Lucy and myself have been relocated to the Special Education and Needs classes. Whilst we will miss the school friends we made in the older grades, already we feel we are making a difference to the education of these young students. Lucy and myself in particular feel we are learning so much from the talented and inspiration kids we have met; I'm certainly getting good practise of my sign language skills!

The Antips at Hithadhoo have had another great week. The girls and Josh have spent the week bonding with their students and teaching alternating lessons. Together with this and the swimming lessons, they finally feel as if they are making a positive influence to those around them. Cait at Kangeroo Kids continues to be spoilt by the teachers with love and extremely sweet tea.

This week at the hospital there has been a range of exciting things going on. The girls and Ty have travelled all over, speaking at Feydhoo High School about mental diseases and and visiting the elderly on home trips. Additionally, they have witnessed the birth of both a little boy and a little girl: fortunately arriving 30 minutes prior and skipping the night long labour. The have spent their free hours conversing with the doctors and professionals, learning as much as they can from the experience. They have been lucky enough to integrate themselves into island life and have met a wide arrange of interesting people as a result.

This weekend is going to be totally different again. We are being treated to an overnight stay on an uninhabitable island this Thursday night, followed by a day with the local Defence Force. We will spend the day planting trees to create awareness about being environmentally friendly and doing something positive for the environment. The following afternoon we will have our own Australia Day celebrations by putting on activities and games in the park for the locals. We endeavour to make this afternoon also about waste management and will lead by example in how to dispose of waste correctly. Next week we will partake in beach clean ups all around the island. Additionally, some of us girls will be running an extra session at 8pm at night to teach preschool teachers basic first aid. We also aim to include the need for sun safety and protection. It promises to be a busy week indeed.