Week Two In Gorgeous Hithadhoo, the Maldives

PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Health
WRITTEN BY: Caitlin White

The second week of our adventure has absolutely flown and we cant quite believe that we are already halfway through our stay. Our week was filled with a range of fun activities, a few hospital visits and a number of long days of volunteering and swimming lessons.

We may as well begin with our first weekend on the island, which we spent enjoying the sun and our free time. On Friday (the first day of our weekend) we began the day slowly with much of the group choosing to sleep in . Unfortunately for the lighter sleepers in the group a sleep in is simply not an option over here. As the Maldives is an Islamic country the local mosques are all equipped with speaker systems that call the locals to prayer five times a day. While this does not affect us during the day it does prove painful at five in the morning.

After a leisurely breakfast we headed out on a small boat to an uninhabited island referred to by the locals as Picnic Island. Located forty minutes off the coast of Hithadhoo, we were allowed to remove our rashies and long pants in favour of our much missed bikinis. It felt like we were back in Australia and everyone was excited about the prospect of a tan. Once close to the island we were transferred to a smaller fishing boat which allowed us to navigate our way through the coral maze that surrounded the small, pristine sand island. Once there we simply enjoyed swimming, snorkelling, relaxing and playing beach games. 

As we embarked on our trip back to the mainland we all sat and watched the sun as it set, turning the sky a brilliant burnt orange that slowly faded to a soft lilac. It was one of those moments that forced us to count our blessings and appreciate the world in which we live. I personally couldn't help but sit quietly and reflect upon the great opportunity we had all been given. It was then that I realised how special it was to be experiencing the real Maldives - the people, the culture, the food and the stunning scenery.

The weekend came and went quickly, and before we knew it were were beginning our second week in the schools and hospitals. We also continued on with our swimming lessons, a really important part of the program here on Hithadhoo. The swimming lessons had been organised prior to us arriving with the local Hira School as an extra curricular activity for the students. Our first lesson was chaos as the children arrived all at once instead of arriving over two different time slots. While we tried to assess their individual levels of ability we struggled to deal with the excitement of the children and their eagerness to get into the water.

After a near miss in the water we finished up the lessons and went back to the drawing board. As a group we discussed ways to organise the lessons in a way that was safe and achievable for us and the students. We have now formed pairs and assessed the children. We have created groups ranging from beginner (scared of the water) to advanced (being able to kick confidently).

Swimming lessons here are a world away from the organised swim schools we have in Australia. The first step over here is to get the children to realise that swimming in thongs is near impossible and that goggles only work when placed over your eyes. Due to their cultural restrictions many of the children wear long pants, long tops and even headscarves into the water. This adds weight to the children and can make things more difficult for them when they are learning to swim. For those reading back home, just imagine water safety week in Australia (where children have to swim in tracksuit pants and long shirts) but the children doing it everyday. Despite the challenges, the swimming teaching is extremely rewarding. At our first lesson we had children who were terrified of the water and now after just a few lessons we have managed to get them floating on their backs and blowing bubbles with their faces in the water.

For the teachers, the second week at the schools definitely proved more difficult than the first. A number of the girls struggled to form positive relationships with their classroom teachers and their schools. As a fourth year education student I have definitely struggled with the amount of observation occurring the classroom. In Australia we are always encouraged to take lessons and be creative as young educators however my experience here has been quite the opposite.

While a number of us have struggled with staff at the schools we all agree that the students are what this experience is all about. Every day when I walk into the classroom their faces light up and they wave at me with excitement until I wave back. The classes here often have 25-30 students large which means that the teachers simply can't get around to helping everyone. For this reason the majority of us spend our time supporting the students who are often left behind. They seem overjoyed to have the assistance and the kids that were once falling behind are now often the first to finish.

Highlights of this week for the health students included assisting a gynaecologist in the antenatal clinic and observing both major and minor surgeries in the operating theatre. Holly lucky enough to be placed in the antenatal clinic for two days, learning about the role of ultrasounds in pregnancy and how to determine the gender of a foetus through looking at the ultrasound images. She was even given the opportunity to tell an expecting mother what gender her unborn baby was - how exciting!

Ainsley and Tayla were placed in the emergency room for a few days - taking vital signs and learning about case management in a hospital that lacks a triage system. They found this extremely interesting as it was extremely different to what they had learnt as student nurses in Australia. Genevieve was posted in the operating theatre and was able to observe a number of minor surgeries including the removal of cysts, corns and even an appendix. She found that she learnt a lot by watching the surgeons as they worked, asking questions where appropriate. They were all happy to dicuss their procedures and reasons for doing things.

All the health students have also enjoyed getting to know the doctors and nurses that they have been working along side in the hospital. At times the hospital can be quite empty, leaving plenty of time for the girls to chat with the local nurses and learn more about the culture and challenges specific to living on Hithadhoo. There are a few babies due next week so the girls are excited and will no doubt have more news next week.

On Australia Day we all got the opportunity to visit the local school called Kangaroo Kids. Interestingly Kangaroo Kids is a franchised private school that was founded by an Australian-Indian woman who wanted to spread the Australian approach to education around the world. The school focusses on creativity and learning enjoyment and tends to take a more liberal approach to education than other schools on the island. We arrived at the school, equipped with face paint, aussie flags, stickers, stick on tattoos, tiny koalas and other Australian things. The kids sang 'Home Among The Gum Trees' and even managed to learn some simple yet effective choreography (special thanks to Nikki and Sasha). It was an awesome afternoon spent celebrating our beautiful country with a bunch of excited and extremely grateful students and teachers. There was no BBQ and there certainly weren't any beers but we wouldn't have spent it any other way!

We are looking forward to an awesome third week over here and cant wait to share it all with you soon.

Exploring the Crystal Clear Waters in The Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROJECT: Teaching & Health
WRITTEN BY: Caitlin White

Wow, what an experience this trip has already been. Since arriving in Hithadhoo just a few days ago we have all been snorkelling, visited the schools and hospitals, eaten lots of yummy Maldivian food, been swimming in the stunning aqua waters, sweated (uncontrollably), sipped on coconuts and ridden around the island countless times.

Excited by the prospect of going swimming we all raced into our rooms and changed into our swimming outfits consisting of 3/4 tights, long shorts and conservative rash shirts. While I am sure many of us would have preferred to be donning bikinis and working on our tans, we were all understanding about the cultural and religious customs here in the Maldives. We all jumped on our bikes and followed Suna’s little pink car as it drove down the main road towards to ocean. As we rode we quickly realised just how hot it was as sweat started to drip from our arms, brows and necks almost immediately. After a few short minutes the crystal clear aqua waters that had drawn us to the Maldives in the first place greeted us. The coastline here is truly stunning, made up of every shade of blue imaginable and the water temperature is perfectly refreshing.

Part two of the orientation began the following morning as we all piled into the taxis and cars for a tour of the island. As most of us arrived tired and a little bit delirious in the middle of the night, we all struggled to find our bearings. Our tour guides helped us to understand more about the island of Hithadhoo, the surrounding islands in the atoll and the local language of Dhivehi. Our specific car lucked out with a driver who either loved Taylor Swift or knew that we loved Taylor Swift, which made for a spectacular partnership and an even better car karaoke set up. 

As we drove back towards the guesthouse, hugging the stunning coastline the tour guides decided to pull over on the side of the road and treat us to a fresh coconut. As half of the group tested out the make shift hammock chairs hanging from one of the trees the other half simply appreciated the view. The coconuts were young and had a natural sweetness to them, unlike any of the coconut drinks we have in Australia. As we sipped I began to wonder whether my coconut was in fact a Mary Poppins bag in disguise - no matter how much I sipped on my straw it still appeared full.

In the afternoon we all piled into the tray of a large truck and headed for a local snorkelling spot. To get to the beach the truck had to wind through narrow dirt roads, lined with tropical trees and shrubs. After dodging tree branches the truck eventually broke through into a cleared road and again we were mesmerised by the beautiful waters. The snorkelling was incredible with schools of fish swimming just off the shore. The guide even managed to find a sea cucumber the size of a big tree branch camouflaged amongst the coral.

On the way back from our snorkelling adventure we all piled into the truck again. Unfortunately though one of the team was stung on the lip by a wasp that had been sitting on one of the moving branches as we drove by. Luckily Suna came to the rescue in her little pink car and took her to the hospital straight away. Lucky for the rest of us, she had a sense of humour and we all joked about the swollen lip ‪#‎kyliejenner‬ ‪#‎lipchallenge‬ ‪#‎freebotox‬.

Our third and final day of orientation was centered around our placements in either the hospital or the local schools.

Teaching

After being assigned to our individual schools we all set off early in the morning to meet our students, leading teachers and mentors. Dressed conservatively in long pants and long tops we were all extremely sweaty as well pulled up at our schools after riding for 10-15 minutes from the guesthouse. The schools varied in their size, year levels and facilities but the one thing that remained consistent was the level of excitement amongst the children. All of the children seemed overjoyed to have someone new in their classroom and as teachers we were just as excited. We all jumped straight into helping students with their work and some of us were even given the opportunity to teach whole class lessons from the outset.

The children here are inquisitive and a number of us were asked questions like ‘Why do you have that colour skin?” or “Miss, why you have blue eyes?”. While we didn't take offence to the questions being asked, the majority of us struggled to answer such complex questions. As the Maldivian weekend runs Friday to Saturday we only got two days in the classroom before the weekend so I am sure there will be more to share next week - looking forward to getting involved and teaching them all about Australia on Australia Day.

Health

This week the nurses and health students we were placed into different parts of the local hospital on Hithadhoo. Some of these areas included the intensive care unit, operating theatres and the most exciting to date - the labour room. While the hospital was much quieter than they had anticipated all of the girls said that the hospital was much more extensive than they had originally thought.

The two nursing students were lucky enough to witness the arrival of a healthy baby girl as they were given the opportunity to sit it on a cesarean. One huge difference they noticed was that the mother to be had been placed under a general anaesthetic and was not able to witness the arrival of her daughter. The husbands are also not allowed to be a part of the birthing process due to religious restrictions. Both girls found the procedure quite confronting and were astounded when one of the nurses told them that the majority of the babies here in the Maldives are delivered via cesarean operations.

The health students are looking forward to their next week of placement and are hoping to witness more births and other exciting procedures during their time on the island.

Challenging, creative and rewarding teaching experiences

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Swimming Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Kaitlin Foster, University of Sydney, Education

This week we were given the opportunity to organise our own school holiday program. We needed to devise the timetable, classroom allocations and lunchtime duties – we were the principles of our very own school! We divided the students into both a senior school (years three, four and five) and junior school (years one, two and three).


In the senior classes over the course of the week the students were doing a broad range of activities throughout the day – anywhere from drama activities to an exploration of living and non-living things that could be found at our school! Jess and Mikey focused their unit of work on environmental awareness and the positive interactions the students could make with their local environment. A particular highlight was when the students were able to make their own pot plant or pencil case out of half an empty water bottle. In Kaitlin and Kate’s classroom they spent the week on both English and Science, finishing the week off by giving every student an opportunity to use the pot plant they made in Jess’ class and plant their own seeds!

Real life walking, talking ‘Wild Things’ were found in Ruby and Sam’s classroom – making for some very interesting lunchtime activities. In addition to this, the girls also explored with their classes through art lessons some of the iconic natural and built Australian environments. Two of the Physical Education teachers Izzy and Ally taught the senior classes a human body unit of work – giving the students the opportunity to assemble their own skeletons!

In the junior classrooms, Kate and Olivia developed both a ‘mental maths’ unit as well as a world culture unit. The students enjoyed the opportunity to learn about new cultures as they each developed their own world fact file that they compared to the Maldivian culture each day. Heather and Hilary engaged their classes with health lessons whereby the students each made a ‘health food plate’ of the major food groups as well as discussed friendships in their lessons. A very popular topic this week of Australian icons was a standout in Helena and Melinda’s classroom. The students enjoyed the opportunity to explore Australian landmarks through engaging visual arts lessons where they explored colour and pattern.

After by far the busiest and most rewarding week here, we packed our bags and travelled by speedboat to the Herathera Island Resort. As we stepped off the boat, we all felt instantly relaxed in our own little paradise. We were treated to buffet lunches, dinners and breakfasts but also to picturesque sunsets on both nights that left the entire group speechless. We all feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be in such a beautiful part of the world.

To top off an already incredible week we were treated with a candlelit barbeque dinner on the beach at sunset upon our return to Hithadhoo. We look forward to the week ahead ready to conquer our last opportunities to teach at both Hithadhoo and Sharafuden Schools before travelling home, relaxed and having eaten far too much food.

Invaluable Teaching Experiences for Education Students in the Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Swimming Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Kaitlin Foster, University of Sydney, Education

This past week has sped by and it feels like only yesterday that we had our first visit to our local schools. The week has seen us continuing our swimming lessons and starting both the netball clinics and an ‘Australian School Holiday Program’ for the students of Hithadhoo and Sharafuddin schools.

The Maldivian school holidays began this week and provided an incredible opportunity for the group to teach lessons to the local students that reflected the Australian curriculum. On the first day we had over eighty students in attendance! The program also provides us with valuable classroom experience, allowing us to establish a unit of work on any relevant topic for us to teach during the week. The students immensely enjoyed the first day, and in particular Ruby and Sam’s drama lessons.

As four members of our group are studying Bachelors of Education (Human Movement), some of the local high schools have been eager to utilise the girls’ knowledge for the training of their Cadets. This week, the girls have worked tirelessly to present two seminars based on nutrition and first aid. The girls drew a crowd that was much bigger than anticipated, and worked well as a team in engaging the large number of students.

In the Maldives, the schools take pride in not only producing well-educated students but also in the appearance of their school. It is not uncommon for classrooms to be painted with murals depicting key focuses for the year, or inspiring messages for the students that reflect a schools key values. When the opportunity arose for our group to assist a school in need by painting the Maldivian key values we jumped at the opportunity. In just one day Melinda, Jessica, Kate and Helena produced beautiful pillars that will stand as a daily reminder for the students of their educational goals.

A one-night stay at the Equator Resort blissfully tipped off our busy week. A buffet breakfast and a lay by the pool have the group feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the week ahead.

A Mind Blowing First Week In The Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Swimming Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Jessica Leask & Kaitlin Foster, University of Sydney, Education

Our first day on the beautiful atoll of Hithadhoo was nothing short of magical. With a delayed flight due to severe weather conditions in Hong Kong, and a change of travel route that included a stop over in Singapore, we arrived safely at our guesthouse in the early hours of the morning. After a good sleep in, we all awoke and were excited to explore our new home for the next three weeks.

Our first activity of the day was to visit our schools. For the duration of our stay, the group has been divided between both the Hithadhoo School and Sharafuddin, which boasts the largest school population in the Maldives. At Hithadhoo School we were greeted with flowers and coconuts during our meeting with the Assistant Principal.

Our first days of teaching here have been invaluable. The schools have been very welcoming, with all of our teachers giving us opportunities to teach classes to the students on our very first day! The local teachers are eager to learn new practices, and as a whole we have learnt so many important lessons from the students already. We have also begun to teach the very eager students how to swim in an afternoon program that will be continued throughout the duration of our trip. In addition to swimming, beginning next week, there will be some lively competition between the students at both schools as we are all coaching netball teams that will be competing each other in the island interschool competition.

In addition to our lesson planning and organising the coming weeks ahead, we have been fortunate enough to be able to plan a few little excursions including snorkelling and fishing. Snorkelling was one of the most mind-blowing experiences for so many of the students on the trip. Firstly the colour of the water is exactly how you would imagine it, the brightest and clearest of blues. Meanwhile the wildlife below is breath taking. It is a whole other world down there with so many creatures to be seen. We were lucky enough to see at least 3 turtles in all different sizes, a few reef sharks and so many brightly coloured fish.

As a group we also celebrated two birthdays this week with a beautiful trip to an uninhabited island on Friday, with snorkelling, swimming and a boat ride. We are all now feeling refreshed and ready to conquer our second week!

Our Unbelievable UniBreak in Thinadhoo, Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching and swimming coaching
WRITTEN BY: Vivienne Zhu

I’m sad that this will be my last blog post for the trip. We’ve experienced so much, and it’s rapidly coming to an end in two days. It has been an extraordinary and memorable journey with five amazing girls and we were lucky enough to see some beautiful wildlife today; a pod of dolphins, some sharks, and a three-legged turtle!

For future Unibreakers, I want to give you a few tips.

Firstly, add your group on Facebook prior to the trip and don’t bring excessive quantities of items. There are plenty of local shops you can go to buy all your household needs: toothbrush/toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, Nutella, peanut butter, etc. Bringing these items will just weigh your suitcase down when you could bring books and games for the kids to play.

Secondly, don’t let bad weather spoil your fun! Our second trip to Havodigalaa Island began with overcast clouds and rain, but we were still able to chill in hammocks, and watch a beautiful sunset. We concluded the night with a glow stick party and karaoke - singing and dancing until we were tired. I also helped the locals light candles to use at night (a bit difficult given the heavy winds!)

Thirdly, immerse yourself in teaching – whether it is inside or outside the classroom. You get a grasp of how unique each child is and you come to recognise their strengths and weaknesses. I will certainly miss their persistent calls of “MISS” whenever they have problems or simply want my attention. Without a doubt, putting in the time and energy has been worthwhile.

Additionally, the progress the kids have made in swimming has been phenomenal. Some are able to swim freestyle without kickboards and through constant encouragement and praise, all the students were able to get in the water. (A tip for sports coaching – “hands on heads” will have the kids quieten down almost immediately!)

On our last day at school, we held an assembly where we presented a video Janelle made and gifted the school with our painting of Australia. Ajeeb invited us for a farewell dinner at school, where we dressed up in traditional Maldivian dresses. We captured many special moments with our teachers and were constantly praised on how beautiful and model-like we looked (#MissMaldives2015). Some of us even had veils tied to our hair, and it was like our own Maldivian wedding! We were treated to a great feast prepared by our teachers, and we said our final thank you to our in-country agent and the school.

Finally, treasure the memories you create with your new friends, your teachers and your students. We may come to a resort again in the future, but how often will we be able to live on a local island in Maldives? Getting to know the locals, saying “hi” to strangers, and going on snorkelling trips were certainly the highlights of the trip for me. Living as the locals do allowed us to truly understand the culture and lifestyle of Maldivians.

The Thinadhoo group would like to give our sincerest thanks to our in-country agents. Ibrahim, our local tour guide, thank you for purchasing our small household needs whether it be fruit or toilet paper! Whilst you appear shy, we have had so much fun with you, and are so grateful that you have been able to show us around the island.

Assad, you have been so amazing. Whenever we had a problem or wanted to go somewhere, you were quick to get it fixed or organised. Words cannot describe how efficient and kind-hearted you are, and we will surely miss your singing! We will certainly miss you in the weeks to come as we will no longer have snorkelling trips or see you on a near-daily basis.

We’ve taken so many photos and created countless memories, which will remain with us forever. This past month has been unbelievable and certainly unforgettable. We will definitely keep in touch with one another and we’ve already organised meet-ups in the coming weeks!

Thanks for sharing this journey with us! Love the Thinadhoo group.

Considering A UniBreak Trip to the Maldives? 'Just do it!'

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Nursing, Teaching & Swimming Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Brooke Salems

Our final week in Hithadhoo! We approached this week with mixed emotions, as it dawned on us that we would soon be saying our goodbyes. We were all eager to make the most of our last few days in our island paradise.

After a relaxing weekend, we were back into the swing of teaching and nursing. Our week was spent giving back to the community by finishing the school library renovations, running healthcare workshops for the local nurses, teachers and students, and donating medical supplies to the local clinics and hospital. Both the school and the hospital held a small party for the teaching and nursing students as a way of saying thank you and farewell. It is so lovely to know that our small amount of time has had such a large impact on their lives.


Reflecting on our time here, we realise all the amazing opportunities we have had. Snorkelling in the crystal clear water with fish and sea turtles, exploring uninhabited islands in the middle of the Addu Atoll, living the Maldivian lifestyle – tasting the different food and playing with the local children, redecorating the children’s library and turning it into a garden wonderland, witnessing natural births and caesarean sections at the hospital and walking out of our resort villas onto private beaches are all experiences that we would not have been able to do at home!

All of these amazing experiences would not have been possible without the kindness of the Maldivian locals and although there are so many people we would like to thank, these few are the ones who have made it the most memorable adventure for us all!

Thank you to the staff at the school and the hospital that we worked at for welcoming us into your workplace, sharing your knowledge with us and inviting us to be involved in your team over the past month. To Bonda and Captain, thank you for taking us on countless fishing trips to show us around your homeland. I don’t think any of us will ever forget the crystal clear water and the amazing sea life!

To our wonderful housekeeper, thanks for keeping us safe and making sure everything was always perfect at the guesthouse. And finally, our in-country partners… there are no words to say how truly grateful we are for all you have done for us. You have been our Maldivian parents, supporting and encouraging us, and helping us to immerse into your culture. You have provided us with so many wonderful opportunities which will always be remembered. We wish you all the best in life – you deserve it!

To anyone considering a UniBreak trip… just do it! It has been the most incredible experience for us, and we have all made memories and friends that will last a lifetime.

Our UniBreak In The Maldives: ‘An Eye-Opening Experience’

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching and Sports Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Katy Brown

After a month of making memories and building friendships that will last a lifetime, our time in the Maldives has finally come to an end. Whilst we are all excited to see our families again, we all feel devastated to be saying goodbye to this place we have called home and these people we have called family for the last month.

With a once in a lifetime trip like this, you have to be open to a few hiccups along the way. From a touch of sickness, to a couple of communication errors, we had our fair share of tiny dramas. But there was no way these were going to effect us in a negative way.

In total, we managed to sneak away for a snorkelling trip on an uninhabited island about twice a week. These were highlights for the group as it was time we could get away and relax and just enjoy each other’s company, not to mention the company of our island dad Momo. Between our snorkelling and fishing trips, as a group we were lucky enough to see 4 turtles, about a dozen dolphins, a manta-ray, a stingray, a handful of sharks and hundreds and hundreds of fish. Not to mention the amazing coral reefs.

In the afternoons when school time came around, we were all eager to see our students and expectant for a crazy afternoon. The kids were always so excited coming to class which just made us even more excited. When sport came around, the boys would all rock up in their soccer gear ready to show off their tricks, and the girls would come ready to learn some new netball skills off the Aussie experts.

Our favourite weekends were, of course, the two we spent at Robinson’s resort. We feel so privileged to have been able to see this magical place. It was truly breathtaking, and not to mention the many friends we made who work there. I think we were all most excited about the buffet at every meal, not that we didn’t love Sid (our cafe chef)'s cooking, it was just nice to have so many options! We have all promised that we will return one day!

Our last week at Kolamaafushi was, without a doubt, crazy and one of the best! We decided that rather than stress too much about each days activities, we would spend our time enjoying the company of the kids and the locals. We enjoyed having our final lessons with our classes, which meant a mass water bomb fight for the older kids and a crazy party with the little ones. They absolutely loved it and it was a perfect way to end our time with them. In the afternoons for our last week, we enjoyed hanging out at the sports park, playing soccer with the boys and netball with the girls. Then we headed to sunset point and saw the most incredible sunset with our students.

Our final week on Kolamaafushi also meant our final week together as a group. We spent one afternoon/night at an uninhabited island watching the sunset on the beach and having a bonfire and BBQ fish and potatoes. After dinner we had a dance party on the beach, being laughed at by our Maldivian guides, but it was well worth it. This was a personal favourite night for a few of us.

By Wednesday, half the group had left Kolamaafushi and it was just 3 of us remaining for the last couple of nights. We made the most of it, going for an adventure (we attempted to walk to a nearby island but were scared away by leopard eels). We also enjoyed some time jumping off the jetty with some of the local boys and girls. On our last day Momo took us to an island to have one final snorkelling trip and to spend some time with him and his two little girls who were adorable!

Saying goodbye to everyone on Kolamaafushi was extremely difficult. The teachers, students, parents and island people in general welcomed us with open arms and treated us so well. We will definitely miss them all, especially Momo, who really was like a father to us. As we headed off, we had a group of students at the jetty to wave goodbye, which made it really sink in that we were leaving.

We finished our trip with a night in Thinadoo – we were all a bit shocked by how big it was after being on such a tiny island- then saying our final goodbyes to each other at Singapore airport as we headed off in our separate directions.

Without a doubt, this month has been one of the best of my life, and I'm sure most of the group could say the same thing. Spending a month on such a small island meant that we certainly stuck out, and it will be hard to get used to going home and not having every person on the street saying hello to us. We have all learnt so much about ourselves and about the Maldivian culture; it was an eye-opening experience as to how different their world truly is.

Together, we have made lifelong friendships, already with plans to catch up again later on this year, and maybe even another Antips trip together in the future! I am so greatful to Antips for providing us with such an amazing opportunity: it truly is something I would recommend to anyone.

Barbecues, Snorkelling and Library Renovations in the Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Nursing, Teaching & Swimming Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Katina Sarantidis

Another week has passed and the reality that we are well and truly venturing to the near end of this trip has started to sink in. We continue to be in awe of the breathtaking location that has become our home over the last three weeks, and as friendships develop stronger, the harder it is to contemplate parting as a group and returning to our lives in Australia.

This week has been full of both surprises and adventure. It began with a picturesque sunset beach barbecue. We were escorted to a candlelit table where we were waited on like royalty and served the finest of foods on the island. Chicken, beef, seafood skewers, chargrilled vegetables, fresh salads and dessert – this was no ordinary sausage sizzle! Everyone was overwhelmed by the generous hospitality of the chef and serving staff and we truly could not express our gratitude for such a perfect evening. There was something quite tranquil about eating dinner under the stars, with sand beneath our toes and the faint sound of waves crashing against the nearby rocks.

Snorkelling and fishing continue to be two of the most favoured leisurely activities amongst us all, with groups going out on the boat almost daily. As spotting sea turtles when snorkelling becomes more common, it is nonetheless just as exciting as the very first time. It is near impossible to describe the clarity and turquoise blue colour of the water – it is truly remarkable. Each time we are convinced it appears bluer than the last.

Later in the week we were fortunate enough to be invited to a traditional Maldivian wedding. The bride was the daughter of a midwife the nursing students had been working alongside in the hospital. We took this opportunity to all dress up and immerse ourselves in the Maldivian culture – a unique and wonderful experience.

One of the main highlights of the week was the renovation of the local school library. The teaching students had met with the principal of the school to discuss the possibility of painting and refurnishing the primary section of the library. The plans were approved, the paint was purchased and it was all hands on deck for one full afternoon where we spent transforming the once dull, colourless library, into a bright, vibrant and inviting children’s reading corner. This project not only brought us closer together as a group, as we bonded over hours of painting and singing along to music, but also gave us a real sense of satisfaction and a reminder as to why we are all here. Seeing the smiles and lit up faces of students and staff made the hard work all worth the while. It is true what they say:

“Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give.” Ben Carson

Until next time.

A Night In Paradise - The Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching and swimming coaching
WRITTEN BY: Vivienne Zhu

Waking up early, we were very excited to go to the Robinson Club. It started raining as we were boarding the speedboat, and we hoped it would clear up later in the day. Unfortunately the rain kept coming but that didn’t stop us from enjoying our little getaway in paradise.

When we arrived, we were welcomed by the staff at the resort and greeted with champagne and small starters (mini sandwiches and fruit). After reception we were taken to our rooms, and they were beyond imaginable! The outdoor egg bed, soft sofas and hot garden showers were a treat from the cold showers and hot nights at the guesthouse!

With our bikinis on, we headed to the pool for a little swim under the spitting rain and grabbed drinks from the friendly bartender. The buffet lunch was gourmet and absolutely mouth watering: beef, pesto pasta, pizza, salad and grilled fish were some of options available to us.

Some of us booked massages at the spa, a bit pricey, but worth it because YOHO (you’re only here once). There were various massages including hot stone, Balinese, Thai, as well as manicures and pedicures and we were treated to ginger tea after our massage.

The next morning, we woke up early to watch the sunrise. We walked in the dark to the jetty and sat on the beach waiting patiently for the moment the sun peeks over the horizon. To say the least, the sunrise was breathtaking, and we saw a small baby shark swimming close to the shoreline. A breakfast fit for kings was available, including amazing omelettes cooked before us, muesli, yoghurt and waffles to name a few. We took a table by the ocean and enjoyed the sunny day ahead.

We went for a short stroll to the beach and laid out our towels for a nice morning sunbathe. We saw some honeymooners with wives wearing their wedding dress and the husband setting up timed cameras (it was not a rare sight). We had fun taking photos of ourselves lying in hammocks, climbing trees and jumping with the Maldivian blue ocean in the background.

Janelle and I went for a snorkel, however the coral reefs weren’t as vast as the other reefs we’d seen. The fish didn’t dart away from us, and a long eel-like fish with a barb-like tail caused us to abort mission.

At midday, it was time to checkout, and we met the Kolamaafushi group at reception. It was nice to see new faces, and we all headed to the pool for a final swim before lunch. Without a doubt, it was a great idea to go to the resort during the middle of our trip because we were able to relax, regroup and eat some delicious western food before our final two weeks!

Our Top Five Experiences in Kolamaafushi, Maldives.

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching and Sports Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Emily Edwards

We’ve already been here three weeks and the time has gone so fast. Five experiences that you absolutely cannot miss while visiting the Maldives are:

1. Snorkelling trips to uninhabited islands
On some of our mornings off we like to indulge in a trip to an uninhabited island. At around 9.30 in the morning we get on our island dad’s boat and he takes us to another island, usually around 15-20 minutes away from Kolamaafushi. The first time we did this, it was a daunting ride. The boat is somewhat small and flat, with no sides to stop us from rolling out, but we make it there and back in one piece every time.

Getting to explore the other islands is beautiful, with us circling the island either by foot or in the water, snorkelling. On some of these trips we have had the pleasure of turtle sightings, thousands of fish, and a few too many sharks for Katie’s liking! Just make sure it doesn’t start raining heavily on your way home, as it makes for a tough time getting out of the boat in a wet towel.

2. Australia vs. Maldives Netball match
This week we had a netball match versing the local teachers. This turned out to be a frustrating experience, as the Maldivian players follow a slightly different set of rules to what is used in Australia, but it was nonetheless a successful game and friendships were forged. Phil wasn’t allowed to play, as the teachers requested that it be a female-only match, but he was able to entertain himself cheering and making friends with the local children. Once the game finished, we were invited to the home of one of our Maldivian opponents for a post-game coconut to quench everyone’s’ thirst.

3. Performing for the locals
On Tuesday we had a concert to celebrate Australia Day. The locals set up a stage for us and decorated it with everything Australian – blue background, Australian flags, balloons printed with Australian motifs and a poster with information on the origins of Australia Day for the locals to read. We performed a dance to a mash up of a series of songs that are on repeat throughout the trip. We also sung ‘Home Among The Gum trees’ with the hand actions that some of us have been teaching our classes. The school provided traditional Maldivian dress for the girls to wear for the night, and the school children and principal had a few songs to perform for us as well.

4. Night Fishing
The evening before Australia Day we went night fishing. Our Island dad caught 4 fish, which we found extremely impressive. Anna maintains that she caught a shark, which has been the source of much debate – everyone else believes it merely swam past. The most exciting part of our night was catching a turtle that we named Terry the Turtle. Nothing had happened in a while, when suddenly Sam’s line got extremely heavy. We thought it was a manta ray, then a shark (Katie: “If that shark comes on the boat I’m getting off!”), before finally pulling in Terry.

5. Robinson’s Resort
We’ve been lucky enough to be able to stay at Robinson’s Resort, a 5 star resort located on it’s own private island. It was a very exciting experience as few of us have stayed at a resort such as Robinson’s, especially as we had access to hot water for the first time in weeks as well as buffet meals with all of our favourite foods (one waiter has noticed Sammy and Katie’s love for French fries and brings a personal dish out for them both). We are already popular amongst the staff due to our frequent chats, enthusiastic sing-alongs, and bursts of dancing.

Week Two In Our Tropical Maldivian Paradise

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Nursing, Teaching & Swimming Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Clare Sibthorpe

We began our second week of tropical paradise feeling refreshed, relaxed and revived from our overnight stay at an island resort. As we zoomed through the crystal-clear waters on our speedboat to and from the resort, we sat in disbelief at how blue the ocean was.

It happened to be Maldivian night at the resort, so we were lucky enough to experience the locals’ fabulous traditional dance and music. As a part of their tribal dance, the men bang on drums made from hollowed coconut wood. As the rhythm picks up throughout the song, women dance and spectators clap along.

Despite our enjoyable weekend, we arrived back at the guesthouse on Saturday afternoon glad to be back at our home away from home. We finished the night off with our first dinner outing as a whole group, eating at the local Italian restaurant. We were reminded that Hithadhoo is quite a bit smaller than many of our home cities, when our table took up the whole inside of the restaurant and the waiter was also the chef!

We are getting used to Hithadhoo life and slowly overcoming the culture shock of living in such a foreign environment. As we adjust to hearing Islamic prayer 5 times a day, some of us are even able to sleep through the 5am wake-up call! We’re becoming accustomed to bats flying past our balcony during sheer daylight, multiple people standing on the back of trucks as they drive by, and parents on motorbikes taking their children to school as early as 6.30am.

I’d like to say the locals are also becoming more accustomed to us Westerners as the days pass, but judging by the stares we all still get, I doubt this is the case. Finally, it’s safe to say we love the milo here! It comes in many forms – from cans, to poppers, to ice cream, to being ‘iced’ and served at restaurants. With such a vast variety, plus the fact that they are so cheap, and the corner store being just two doors down, milo-buying is becoming a daily habit for most of us.

The girls working at the school have had a great week getting to know their students better. The younger kids are learning about weather, seasons, and differences between living and non-living things. They have been giving the volunteers notes almost daily about how happy they are to have Australians with them. The older students are learning about opinion writing and debating. With the school’s anniversary this week, there was ‘plant a tree’, ‘decorate your classroom’ and ‘bring your pet to school’ day. Students from all grades wrote their targets and goals for the year, which were beautiful to read.

The nursing students also had a very eventful and exciting week, observing a total of three births – two natural and one caesarean. One student even assisted with the delivery of a natural birth! Several other procedures were observed, including a hernia repair. Students have also been attending different clinics to assist in health promotion and health assessment of the locals. Some of this week’s topics have included cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

For the kids at swimming lessons, eagerness is growing and skills are improving each lesson. Some beginners who at first refused to go above waist-height now accept and overcome new challenges without hesitation. The pride in their faces when they notice their own achievement is priceless. While it can be a mission to get them out of the water at the end of the lesson, we know it’s a good sign that they are no longer afraid to be in their beautiful ocean.

As Monday was Australia Day, our homesickness was soon overcome by the joy the kids felt when they spent the afternoon with us at the park. We had many activities, including face-painting, tattoo-applying, soccer, Australian beach balls, skipping ropes and boomerangs. Nothing demonstrates enjoying the small things in life more than the gigantic grin on a child’s face when they are told they can keep a gift we have brought.

We finished off our incredible week with some snorkelling trips. We were taken on a boat far into the ocean, away from any land! It was amazing to see breathtaking reefs and colourful fish. Some of us even touched a sea turtle! Our next chapter in our adventure is a trip to an uninhabited island this weekend… We can’t wait, as we’re eager to explore more of this picturesque utopia called the Maldives.

The vibrant colours, people and life of the Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Nursing, Teaching & Swimming Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Tom Squires

After a long couple of flights we finally arrived at Male airport, the capital of the Maldives. Our first challenge was explaining to the Maldivian customs officials why we were here, we were then greeted by a nice man who helped us check in for our internal flight to Gan Airport on Addu Atoll (our home for the next 4 weeks). The plane from Male to Gan was a small 34 seat propeller plane with us being the only Australians on it- this was the first realisation that we were a long way from home. After our 70 minute flight we touched down in Gan and were greeted by our in-country partner Suna; she was very happy to see us even when it was 1:30am. We arrived at the guesthouse and flopped into bed with anticipation of what we would see when daylight appears.

After only a few hours sleep we were woken up by the ‘call to pray’ at 5am, which is sung from different towers placed around the city. It's so great to be living within the village as we get to experience significant cultural events such as this. It was great to meet the other volunteers as we were all excited as each other about being here, about our placements in the hospital and school, and the exploring that will be done in our free time.

After breakfast we all set off on our bicycles to explore the streets, which was an experience in itself. Little cars and motorbikes were dashing out from side streets and swerving in and out of each other on the main road, very different to back home. The vibrant colours of the buildings were incredible. The locals seemed to be so fascinated in what we were up to; they don't see many foreigners here as it's not the most touristy of areas.

After lunch Suna arranged a truck to come pick us all up and take us to one of the coral reefs in the north part of the atoll. We all piled into the back and set off, and after being let through this big gate we continued through the jungle, having to duck for cover a few times. When the trees disappeared it opened up to a snorkelling oasis with crystal clear blue water. We couldn’t wait to get out there! One of the locals gave us a guided tour of the reef; the abundance of coral and fish was amazing, just like the photos we saw before coming here. After only being in the country for less than a day I could tell that this was going to be the most incredible trip.

After we all rested up it was time to visit where we will be volunteering for the next month. For me it was the hospital, where we were welcomed by the director and given a tour of the building. The way things are run is very different to back home, the resources available have to be utilised much more efficiently. It was quite overwhelming at first but as we settled in I knew this was going to be a once in a lifetime experience and seeing how this system differs from home was exciting. The teaching students also set off for their first day of placement, with everyone being put into a different year group and teaching level. Everybody’s first day had the culture shock and overwhelming feel that we expected, but as the days go on and we become more familiar with the staff, patients and students I think we will be able to fit right in and make the most out of it.