Riya Mala 
Four young Fijian volunteers have returned home after completing a historic seven-month civic service exchange in France under the Fonds Équipe France Rapid program.
During their time in France, the volunteers worked with local associations to support community projects, focusing on making sports like rugby and table tennis more inclusive — especially for women and people with disabilities.
Deputy Head of Mission, Benjamin Delannoy, says the volunteers can now share their skills with others in their communities and help inspire more young people to take advantage of similar opportunities.
“It promotes equal opportunities, supports young people on their professional journeys, and contributes to important projects such as, hopefully soon, the development of wheelchair rugby in Fiji. Such an achievement would not have been possible without our valued partners and supporters.”
He adds that the program marks a major milestone in the growing partnership between Fiji and France.
Manoa Keteca, a pioneer of the program, says he improved his rugby skills and also developed in other areas.
“I’m being honest we were happy to introduce ourselves, and we were happy to see that not all Fijians are just good at rugby. We can also succeed academically and in other fields.”
Keteca believes the program proves that with the right support, young people from all backgrounds can thrive and develop valuable personal and professional skills.
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