Bula,
We spent 3 extraordinary weeks in June at 3 different resorts in Fiji. All of the above suggestions are helpful. A couple more ideas are: take the smaller size boxes of colored pencils and crayons so that you can distribute them individually to as many different children as possible.
The Air Pacific "courtesy pack" of tooth paste, socks, eye cover, etc. was just as big of a hit with the villagers as it was with us!
Also, lots of Fijians love to have their pictures taken, but ask permission prior to taking them. They appreciate seeing them in the digital camera, and appreciate receiving hard copies of the pcitures when you return, so be sure to get an address or two where you can send the pictures.
If you are invited to a village for a kava ceremony, be sure to purchase some kava ahead of time as a gift to the chief. And be sure to bone up ahead of time on the proper etiquette of the ceremony.
We were fortunate to worship in Fiji, and the gospel singing is truly heavenly. A good friend of mine from central VA sings in a gospel choir with the rest of her family, and I took 6 copies of a new CD they had just produced. That was a big hit, and I was asked to make additional copies on my computer with some blank CDs I had taken with me.
Also, I was able to burn a disc of some the incredible scuba diving we did at the Yasawa Island Resort, where we spent our first week, and Atu, the DM, was very appreciative.
In addition, we left all of our sunscreens, nasal inhalants, ear and eye drops, etc. with the dive shop of the last resort we stayed in the Mamanucas, and they were grateful for that. A sweat shirt from Virginia Beach was also a big hit. The night before, we took all of the dive staff to dinner in lieu of tipping, and we shared a delightful meal and conversation together, as well as kava and songs. It was difficult for us to say "good bye" that night.
Finally, we left all of our over the counter meds, prescription ointments, throat lozengers, tums, shampoos, toiletries, female products, etc. with a nurse who lives on one of the Mamanuca islands, and she was also grateful.
We were deeply blessed by the hospitality of the Fijian people who welcomed us as family, and we were genuinely grateful to share some of our possessions with them. We shared things, not so much as "hand outs," but rather, as expressions of gratitude to new found friends.
