Although exams are looming and departure for Fiji is just a month away, a group of Charles Sturt University (CSU) students is busy raising money and collecting surgical supplies for a trip to the South Pacific nation.

In the first trip of its kind, 12 veterinary science students will travel to Fiji's capital, Suva, for a fortnight to run cat and dog sterilisation clinics for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

They will also run clinics on Beqo Island, 10 kilometres south of the main Fijian island of Viti Levu, where they will help to implement control programs to limit stray animal populations.

Student Miss Catherine Purvis said, "A key part of our work is also the education of local communities about the diseases which are spread by close contact with the companion animals.

"We are prepared for challenges in our clinical work as the conditions will be different to our experiences to date. We expect limited power and, in some situations, no running water.

"Our trip is about giving back to a community and supporting the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals which doesn't have a veterinarian."

The students, who are in the fifth year of their double degree, will also learn about local livestock production during the trip by visiting a local cattle breeder on the main island.

The students have so far raised about $3 000 to purchase supplies and equipment for the trip.

Their fund-raising activities have included a raffle, a wine and cheese function with medical students on rotation at the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and even a group fitness class for students.

Student Mr Dan McKerrow said, "We have been well supported by businesses in Wagga Wagga such as Lake Road Veterinary Clinic and Moorong Veterinary Clinic which recently donated supplies such as sutures, pharmaceuticals and bandages".

The CSU students also have the support of Provet Riverina and Hills Pet Nutrition for supplies.

Accompanying the students are former Fijian residents and lecturers with the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Associate Professor Gavin Ramsay and Mrs Julie Ramsay.

"I am very proud of the students and the enthusiasm they are showing through their fund-raising," Associate Professor Ramsay said. "They will take not only their knowledge and clinical skills to Fiji but also badly needed equipment and other resources."

The program is partially funded by Australian Government through the Department of Education. The trip is also supported by CSU Global, an initiative to encourage students to have international study experiences.

You can read more about the fund-raising efforts of the CSU veterinary science students, including how to make a contribution, here.