Battling Fiji's Heat With Positivity

This oral presentation is on my three weeks spent in Fiji completing the Klemm Fellowship on Nutrition and Chronic Diseases. Chronic disease is the primary cause of death in Fiji; about 80% of Fijians die of chronic diseases each year. My internship experience included conducting free health screenings in Native and Indo-Fijian villages, teaching health education at Dratabu summer school, and giving Zumba lessons at the community center for adults (including social workers, airport staff, and police officers). In addition, my team and I sought to bring social change in Nadi by spreading motivation and positivity during the intense dry heat period. We conducted a project in which we surprised strangers at the local market with inspirational quotes, and I designed a free personal food diary for patients to track their own health. My time in Fiji was also filled with Fijian language classes, hiking, traveling to the beautiful islands and beaches, and spending quality time with my loving host family.

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