Meet some of
the mad team
jessica tiffin
stuart ‘kimbo’ Roy Moreno
‘Benji’
ailsa dixon
age: 27
Kimberley
age: 23
Benjamin
age: 36
age: 28
Buhikire
Years as crew: 3 years
Years as crew: One and
Years as crew: 1
and counting!
age: 29
Years as crew: In my
a half years
Favourite Mad Moment:
Favourite Mad Moment:
2nd year
Years as Crew: 1
Favourite Mad Moment:
Final y getting to go white
During an Akha tribal
Favourite Mad Moment:
Too many to choose from,
water rafting on the Nile
Best bit about Crewing:
wedding, the whole vil age
Being given the chance
but I’d say the moments
River in Uganda in Oct
A new face means a new
breaking out in a rice ball
to train with Lautoka FC,
that stay with you come
2008 – insanely fun.
friend – airport pick up
& soot fight, hurling bal s
rubbing shoulders with
from friendships built with
Watching the teachers at
time rules!
of charcoal covered
current and ex-Fiji national people towards a shared
the school competing in
rice across the room
players.
positive change.
Best bit about crewing:
the egg and spoon race
at everyone & chasing
Unlimited learning and
during sports day!
each other around the
Best bit about Crewing:
Best bit about Crewing:
exposure to new people
village giggling.
Watching the volunteers
People, Places, Food,
Best bit about Crewing:
and getting a whole new
fall in love with the people
Travel, Culture, Smiles.
Getting to see people
experience about life.
Best bit about Crewing:
and smiles of Fiji, and the
from all over the world
Reliving your first
Top tip for life on a Project:
Top tip for life on a Project:
kids smiles when they
transforming their own
experience of the culture
Ultimately you are the
Be what you wanna be, do
learn new skil s across all
lives and those of the
through fresh eyes every
one who decides your
what you have to do (unless
sports!. . and watching a
people that they are
time new people arrive.
experience, come with
I tell you not to!)
volunteer’s face after
working with... it’s
an open mind and a
downing their first bilo
heartwarmingly rewarding.
Top tip for life on a Project:
willingness to learn .
Mai pen rai, a Thai phrase
of grog!
Top tip for life on a Project:
meaning ‘never mind’ or
Top tip for life on a Project:
Communal living can
‘no worries’, an attitude
Embrace the amazing
take its tol - I like to get
that epitomises Thai
diverse culture of Fiji. Get a
up early before anyone
culture, as they believe
taste for grog, and a feel for
else and spend a few
that if there’s nothing
‘Fiji time’ and you’ll enjoy
minutes looking at Mount
you can do to change
Fiji so much more!
Kilimanjaro, listening to
something, why worry
the birds and waving at
about it…
the kids going to school
with my first coffee of
the day. . it keeps me
grounded and reminds
me why I’m here.
More about
the Mad chief:
Since those early days as a gap year student
He inspires people to take regular gap breaks
John is a Director of the British Educational
and being made a Chief over 10 years ago,
throughout their lives and continues to do so
Travel Association and is a Fel ow of the Royal
John stil leads many projects and adventures
himself. Some of his own recent gaps have
Geographical Society – not bad for a student
himself, and when he’s not heading up
included learning how to Skydive, driving a
who took a gap year to sort himself out! His
Madventurer from Mad HQ in Newcastle he
Land Rover from the UK to Ghana to deliver
wife, Elaine, now joins the Team at Mad HQ
is also a strong advocate of the benefits of
project materials, and working on the first ever
after becoming an African Queen in 2006 in
volunteer travel and its links with development
Education Base in Antarctica with the explorer
the same village John was made Development
and travel.
Robert Swan OBE.
Chief of in his Gap Year.
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