Volunteering in Samoa: A Non-Rev Adventure

In the summer of 2019, I decided to take the chance to volunteer somewhere I had never been before. At the time, I was studying nutrition, and during one of my lectures I learned that Samoa had one of the highest rates of overweight and obesity in the world. I had never been there, but I felt drawn to experience the culture, understand why this was happening, and see if I could contribute in some way. Because my stepdad is a pilot, I was still able to non-rev under the age of 24. This made such a long journey a lot more accessible, and in July 2019, it was finally time to go.

The Journey To Samoa

Getting to Samoa from Europe is no small trip. My first flight was to Dubai, about six hours. Looking back, I wish I had chosen a longer first leg to break up the journey better, maybe to Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur. From Dubai, I caught a 16-hour flight to Auckland. As a non-rev passenger, I was the very last one allowed to board since it wasn’t certain there would be a seat available. Luckily, I made it on but not without a long overnight layover at Dubai airport, where I ended up trying to nap in a coffee shop.

By the time I arrived in Auckland, I was exhausted. I had booked a hotel to rest for the night, and the next day I took my final flight to Apia, the capital of Samoa, a 3–4 hour from New Zealand. Interestingly, a lot of Samoans actually live in New Zealand, as it’s the closest mainland with more opportunities for work, education, and healthcare.

When I arrived, a taxi took me to the volunteer house where I would stay for four weeks. I lived with other volunteers and a Samoan family, which made the experience even richer. Of course, I brought plenty of Dutch snacks to share, but I was even more curious about trying authentic Samoan food.

Our main tasks were to teach middle school students about nutrition, do health checkups in neighborhoods, and visit patients to give dietary advice for conditions like diabetes. Five days a week, I would go to the volunteer office in the city center, meet the other volunteers, and we’d head out for our work. Weekends were for exploring, and Samoa has so much to offer including stunning blue water holes.

One thing that stood out immediately was the laid-back bus system. There were no strict timetables; buses left when the driver felt like it, or when they were full. If someone needed to stop for groceries along the way, the bus would simply wait. The sense of community was strong and if a mother boarded with her children and no seats were left, other passengers would put the kids on their laps. It happened to me too; at first it felt strange, but soon it felt completely normal.

Teaching nutrition meant I first had to understand their diet and culture. It didn’t make sense to simply imply ideas, so I tried to engage in conversations and ask questions. I discovered that eating in Samoa is very much a social activity. Even at community health checkups where people gathered for weight and waist measurements, blood pressure tests, and more, boxes of food were shared, usually full of meat and starches.

It felt unusual to me, since we don’t really associate medical checkups with eating back home. But it was eye-opening: food wasn’t just about health or calories there; it was about connection, sharing, and culture. In the end, I think I learned more from them than I taught, and that was a beautiful lesson in itself.

After four weeks on such a small island, I have to admit I was craving the mainland again. On my way back, I stopped for a week in Sydney, which helped break up the long trip home. A week in Australia wasn’t nearly enough, though, I definitely want to go back someday.

Unfortunately, I’m no longer under 24 and can’t use my non-rev benefits anymore, so such long trips are now much more expensive. But who knows, maybe in the future I’ll find my way back to that side of the world again.