Tribewanted: Vorovoro

Bula Sia Tribe! Hope everybody is feeling happy today. Jenny Bebe (Fijian for Butterfly) here. I am working here as Tribe Manager on Vorovoro until my wonderful friend Jenny Cahill comes back in November to start her new job. I still can’t believe how lucky I am to be living and working on a Tropical island. I came for a three week holiday and I’m still here three months later making banana pancakes in the kitchen and excited about meeting new arrivals on Wednesday. Woohoo…

Since we re-opened three weeks ago, the Tribe has been small in number but not lacking in quality! It’s a big contrast to the busyness of celebration fortnight but as with everything in life, there are always positives. We have had the time and flexibility for spontaneous visits to Mali Island. We attended a fundraiser in Naqawaga village to raise money for a water pump. You should have seen how high the plates were piled with cake! We had a Friday night out with the super smiley people in Vesi village with some really strong grog and plenty of laughs and we also attended a tea party in Ligalevu to open Uraia’s new oven. It’s been great getting out more in the local community and sharing some talinoa (stories) and plenty of happy times. We have also had more time with Frances, Poasa and their family with tea and meals down in the village and plenty of time relaxing and being entertained by the children.

The Mali District School children are training for a district atheletics compettion and last week we enetertained them by forming the Vorovoro boys and Vorovoro girls teams in the 100m relay. We didn’t win! As any Tribemember visiting the school will find, these children are strong, fast and fearless.

Nemani, Tonia, and Api came with us on the Four Peaks Challenge last week, carrying pawpaws instead of waterbottles. They pranced around the peaks like mountain goats making us feel very unfit but it was fun to have them with us. I discovered that my walking boots no longer fit after walking around barefoot for three months. My Fiji feet are flatter and wider and I fear I will never get them clean.

There has been chutney madness in the Vorovoro kitchens this month. I am a self confessed chutney lover and find that having tasty chutney available is a great way to crank up the nutrition and the flavour of any meal. Most fresh ingredients in a chutney are high in antioxidants and therefore pretty awesome. Us kitchen ladies have been chutneying various vegetables and adding various extras depending on ingredients we have on hand. Pawpaw, chilli and coconut has been popular and spiced eggplant is lovely with dhal soup. The mango tree is heavily laden at the moment so green mango chutney is on the menu this week. Recipes on their way! If you think you can chutney it..have a go!

The shower mosaic project started by our previous Tribe Manager Amy has started up again. This project is a great way for Tribemembers to leave their mark here and contribute to a beautiful piece of art. When the waterfall shower has run dry, it’s a very peaceful and inspiring place to enjoy a good scrub. Thanks to the lovely Amy for starting project and all those hours she devoted to it and also thanks to those creative Tribemembers for their mosaics. My parrots fish is on its way…

I feel very lucky to have met so many wonderful people on this island, especially during August celebration month. It was a great party! I am excited about meeting and making more friends here in the coming months. There is something really magical about this Island and the people you meet here really enhance this. Every day as I walk around our village I feel proud of all that the Tribe have built and achieved over the last three years and I feel excited about the future. Vorovoro has been and will continue to be a very special place to belong to for however long you choose.

Am going to pop the kettle on now so Moce for now Tribe.
Loloma Jenny xxx