Tribewanted: Vorovoro

I interviewed Tevita today to reflect on this month and follow up from his last blog where he put the call out to Fiji to remember their traditional ways.

From Tevita:

Last month was a month of building relationships and as the bridge between Team Fiji and the Tribewanted members I thank the tribe for learning all of the Fijian ways and customs. After my last blog I can see that it is happening, that the tribe is learning the Fijian ways and showing others in Fiji what we have learned. When the people in the other villages see what we do, that tribe members meke for the Fijians unlike a resort where Fijans meke for tourists, they are really touched by what we have learned. I have worked in the tourist industry for 14 years in Nadi and even now am surprised that the world is coming to Vorovoro to learn about Fijian culture, and smiling when they learn the meke.

Our village visit to Tui Mali’s and the village of Vuo on Friday made some villagers ask me “how do they learn all this” and “how long did this take them to learn” speaking of the Fijian customs and meke. I replied that the kai valagi have it in their heart and once they have that passion it is easy to learn, something that Fiji can lack at times. When people ask me why I am still here on Vorovoro instead of back in my district as chief, I tell them that it is important for me to be here, and that I am proud to be here, because we do everything together. While the community was started online, I was asked to start it on the land, and now it is a real community. We have proven this during this month. When we went to Vuo we didn’t just donate money the choir, we meke’d for the villagers, and they shouted at first because they couldn’t believe the kai valagi were doing that, and then they were quiet because they were very touched that the tribe was performing for them. That is why they presented us with a whale’s tooth, they didn’t have to, but to thank us for the meke they presented us with the tabua. When we arrived in Vuo and the tribe members said “Ho yah” and “Manavandu” when they came into the village, everyone turned because they were surprised that the kai valagi knew such traditions. Tui Mali told me that he was thankful and touched for the tribe going to his house to work as the other villages don’t ask how they can help him. Days like that prove to Tui Mali that we do work together and how we live as a tribe. Someone asked Tui Mali why tourists came to his house to help him work, and he replied “those were not tourists, those were family.”

Everything increases when we work together, and as Pupu says nothing is hard in this world. If we hold hands, if we communicate, we can be a real tribe, and this month has proven it. I would also like to thank the team on the island that work for Tribewanted, as they have supported me and built up the community. Team Fiji is also doing a great job, and have learned from me so that they can carry on when I am away. This family has made Vorovoro what it is today.

I would like to thank the chief of July for such a good month. Everyone has worked well together and it has been a good and happy month. The next step in September will be to learn more traditions, make more village trips, and to start inviting more Fijians here. I am not frightened now to have Fijians visit, as the tribe now knows the customs and how to welcome people properly. For the second anniversary the tribe members will learn how to do the grog meke. We are looking forward to learning more sustainable ways of living. It is a good exchange that we learn the sustainable living and the tribe members learn Fijian culture. Thanks to the tribe for bringing that knowledge.

To see how to bring Fiji back, people just need to visit Vorovoro. Vorovoro is the way. Vorovoro is the way the world should be, people from all ranks and places come here and enjoy the island and people and cry when they leave because this is the real Fiji. We are stronger when we do things together, and right now we are a very strong tribe.