Only five months after
launching Tribewanted, the first members have landed on the island
and are now living and working alongside the real life indigenous
Fijian tribe
First Tribe Members Arrive for
Sustainable Eco-Community on Fiji Island
September 28, 2006 -- In April of this year
two young entrepreneurs from the UK began
www.tribewanted.com, a global search to create the world’s first
online and offline tribal community. Only five months later, and
with nearly 1000 members already joined, 13 first footers from the
US, the UK and New Zealand recently landed on Vorovoro Island and
took part in a historic ceremony as two tribes were united in
paradise.
One of the founders, Ben Keene, commented from Vorovoro Island:
“Today has been like nothing I have experienced before. It is
difficult to put into words. The traditional ceremony that was led
by the Mali people here in Fiji to welcome and accept the Vorovoro
tribe, represented today by 13 first footers, was full of passion
and belief in what we are doing and achieving. To see over 100 local
people and tribe members link arms and celebrate this unique
partnership was incredible. To be able to present the tambua (whales
tooth) to Tui Mali as our sevusevu (gift) was the greatest honour of
my life. On the basis of today’s experience it is set-up to be an
adventure of a lifetime for all involved”
Shortly before the welcoming ceremony began, and within minutes of
the First Footers landing on Vorovoro beach, the elected tribal
Chief, Warren Wright (tribal name ‘Poques’), from London, opened the
island’s first composting toilets and asked for three willing
volunteers to ‘christen’ them! The design of the toilets were voted
for by the tribe just two weeks ago and the local team finished
putting the seats on just 30 minutes before the first footers
landed.
 Chief
Poques then presented Tui Mali with a wood carving of Vorovoro
Island on behalf of the tribe before his elected deputy, Doug from
Arizona, presented a selection of books that each tribe member had
brought with them for the local school. The aim is to have created a
library by the end of three years.
After the traditional kava ceremony and meke dance, the first
footers and local Fijians ate a Lovo, a feast of pork, chicken,
beef, fish and vegetables that was cooked in an underground oven.
The rest of the afternoon was spent chatting with new-found tribal
friends and setting up the camp. Cold beers at sunset ended a
perfect day, and signified the beginning of a new kind of
partnership; one between an online tribal community and an
indigenous tribal community.
Warren Wright as elected tribal chief, in his speech to Tui Mali:
commented “Thank-you for an opportunity of a lifetime. We promise to
protect your island environment and respect your traditional
culture. We embrace your hospitality and feel part of your family.
We are one tribe!”
Tui Mali in his response to the first footers landing commented:
“Normally there is a line in the sand. On the one side are tourists
and on the other are Fijians. On Vorovoro today there is no line. We
are one community and we will live, work and play together. You are
generating employment in our communities, education in our schools
and happiness in our homes. Bula Vinaka (you are very welcome)”
Ben Keene continued: “September 1st really does see the culmination
of so many peoples hard work and when I look back now at what we
started in April I still have to pinch myself to truly believe what
we have achieved so far. The great thing is that when I came to Fiji
to start preparation work the local communities had all heard about
what we are trying to achieve and have been amazingly supportive,
from skilled building work right through to guidance on how to best
get things done, they have been fantastic. Even though many of them
don’t understand the internet, they understand what it means to be
part of a community more than any of us. I hope we can show the
world the respect and tradition that these people uphold.”
Jo Tuomoto is the marketing manager of the Fiji Visitors Bureau, who
have been supporting tribewanted since April said the following
about the 1st September launch, “It is very exciting and it is all
now about a dream turning into a reality, we’re extremely excited
for the North of Fiji where tourism is sparse”.
The whole purpose of Tribewanted is for the online tribe to work in
partnership for three years with the neighboring island tribe to
build a sustainable island community. At the end of the three years,
Tui Mali and his people decide on the future of the project, they
will own the entire infrastructure on the island. The
www.tribewanted.com website now has a full community section
where voting takes place on every aspect of what goes on.
The launch in April was a huge success with media from around the
globe wanting to know more to the extent that Ben was flown out to
the USA to appear on a number of TV shows including NBC Today,
Reuters News and Good Morning America.
Tribe members are joining all the time from around the world. This
week Ben Fogle, castaway star, adventurer and island-lover, got in
touch with Tribewanted and said he would like to join the tribe and
come out Fiji.
Ben Fogle commented: “Its fantastic to see what these guys have
achieved. I can’t wait to get out to Vorovoro and help out. It’s a
brilliant project!”
Membership to the tribe is still available and is being sold on a
first come first served basis via
www.tribewanted.com and tribe members are now able to reserve
their stay on the island using the online community section.
There will be no more than 100 people on the island at any one time
and the joining fee will cover food and accommodation on the island
for the period of their stay, pick-up from the local airport in
Fiji, and access to the
www.tribewanted.com community throughout their membership.
The money will also support local education and environmental
projects in the island’s neighboring villages. There are three types
of membership to choose from:
Nomads – 1 years membership of tribe + 7 nights stay on island> £120
Hunters – 2 years membership of tribe + 14 nights stay on island >
£240
Warriors – 3 years membership of tribe + 21 nights stay on island >
£360
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