Tui Mali (pronounced “Twee Marlee”) is Chief of the Yavusa tribe which live in four small fishing villages on the adjacent island. Tui Mali, his brother Poasa, and their families live in two small houses on Vorovoro where he is the chief landowner. Tui Mali has welcomed the new tribe to his home and is looking forward to living and working with them. The partnership between Tui Mali’s tribe and our tribe will be reinforced by community projects that we actively and financially support in the nearby villages. Tribe members will be able to visit the local schools and help in specific development work.
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
“I first found out about Tribe Wanted early in 2007 and have been fascinated with the project’s progress ever since. Having gone along to tribal gatherings in the UK, met many inspired tribe members and continually followed the development on Vorovoro online, I knew that I wanted to be part of the action on the island!
I have been lucky enough to experience many different cultures, live on a remote beach in Madagascar taking part on a marine conservation project as well as work with a Volunteer Company being a Project Coordinator, organizing volunteer placements overseas. I am now privileged to start a new adventure living in Fiji, working alongside the tribe team.
I can’t wait to become a part of the Fijian culture and help other tribe members do the same. I fully appreciate the opportunities that lay ahead and I am extremely excited to be part of this very worthwhile and exceptional project.
I look forward to seeing you on Vorovoro!”
Contact Amy by email: amy@tribewanted.com
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
Originally from Kia (one of Vorovoro’s neighbouring islands), Api is one of our trusted boat captains. On Vorovoro he can normally be found joking around with tribe members, playing guitar at the grog bowl, or just generally helping out around camp. Api is the embodiment of everything that is great about Fiji and its culture.
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
“Aloha Tribe!
After graduating with a degree in Sustainable Living from the Maharishi University of Management, a consciousness based university that teaches inner and outer sustainability, I moved to Hawaii where I began to look for just this type of position. I’m stoked to be joining you all on the island and to be interacting with all the online members too. Together I’m certain we can make this experiment so successful that Vorovoro will just be the first of our many adventures!”
Contact Benjamin by email: bkatz@tribewanted.com
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
A regular face on Vorovoro, Pupu Epeli is one of the most popular Fijians involved with Tribewanted. As a respected member of the Fijian community, and with an unmatched level of knowledge, his input and involvement with the projects on Vorovoro has been invaluable, and is greatly appreciated by the tribe. Especially popular with the female members of our tribe, Pupu has a physique that is better than men 40 years his junior, and goes to show that you don’t need to be a member of a gym to stay in outstanding shape. In the words of Pupu, “nothing in this world is hard”.
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
Poasa’s wife and resident of Vorovoro, Francis works as our head chef on a rotating roster with Va. To quote Ben, Francis is in charge of “keeping the tribe fat” and well-fed.
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
A frequent visitor to Vorovoro, Giles will be living full-time on Vorovoro during the course of 2008 as the Vorovoro Project Director
Contact Giles by email: giles@tribewanted.com
Status: Starts work on Vorovoro next week
Jim has just been on the island 11 weeks including a stint being Chief in March. To cut a long story short, he made a massive impact on the island both as a Tribe Member and as Chief. It’s with great pleasure that we welcome him onto the on-island team!
Contact Jim by email: jim@tribewanted.com
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
Forming half of the Api & Johnny comedic duo, Johnny is one of our regular boat captains on Vorovoro. Living in nearby Nakawaga, Johnny is a funny guy, who always makes those around him feel comfortable
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
Kesa works in the kitchens of Vorovoro. Kesa is also Tale’s sister
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
Along with Tevita, Leavi is the caretaker of the gardens on Vorovoro. The main fruits of their labour can be found at the back of Poasa’s village, where everything from corn to watermelon to limes can be found thriving. An accomplished guitar player and singer, Leavi is an institution around the grog bowl on Vorovoro and you will often find him performing various songs after the sun goes down on Vorovoro.
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
Jokingly known as ‘Tata’ (father) around the grog bowl, Marau truly is a father figure for the tribe. As a boat captain, project leader, and expert fisherman, Marau is one of the tribe’s biggest providers. Simply put, the tribe would not be the same without his involvement.
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
A kitchen assistant on Vorovoro, Mateo spends his time collecting coconuts, firewood and sharing his wisdom with the tribe. Although still a young man, Mateo is more than capable in any task that he is given. Mateo is the son of Poasa and Francis and he lives on Vorovoro, full-time with his family
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
Originally from Vesi, Mes specializes on Vorovoro’s sustainability projects. Since joining the team in August 07, Mes has been impressive in this role, and has been given more responsibility as a result.
Contact Mes by email: mesa@tribewanted.com
Status: Currently living on Vorovoro
As Tui Mali’s brother, and permanent resident on Vorovoro, Poasa is another regular face on Vorovoro. In Tui Mali’s absence, Poasa can sometimes be found sharing Tui Mali’s ceremonial responsibilities on Vorovoro. Although Poasa is a big supporter of Tribewanted and the project on Vorovoro, he will normally be found the village on Vorovoro, where he oversees the project, rather than being involved in day-to-day matters of life on Vorovoro.
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
The daughter of Poasa and Francis, Raijieli works in the kitchens and gardens of Vorovoro.
“At the moment I am working with Tevita and Leavi in the gardens on Vorovoro. I have been working on Vorovoro since the tribe started and very happy with my job.
I am from the island (Vorovoro). I have lived there since I was born. I went to school on the mainland. After I finished school, I had applied for a few courses in computing and looked for jobs but could not get through anywhere, so I came back to the island and stayed with my parents. I did not lose hope that God will provide me job because I have his holy spirit in me and praise the lord it did not take me a long way to go to find employment – it was just knocking at my doorstep.
So I am happy with what’s happening on the island and also happy with my work place and the people i work with and the tribe members.
GOD BLESS YOU”
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
Another talented musician, Save (son of Head Chef, Va) has been working regularly on Vorovoro since June 2007. Generally getting involved in labour projects, Save’s speciality is working on projects that require thinking outside of the square, or projects that involve some degree of problem solving.
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
The newest member of our team, Sosi is Menusi’s right-hand-man on the sustainability projects.
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
Having been involved in projects on Vorovoro since the early days, Tale is as much a part of our framework as anyone. Known for his uniquely distinctive laugh, and general grog mat banter, Tale enriches the lives of everyone he meets. On Vorovoro, Tale is mainly involved with labour projects and general island maintenance.
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
Tevita is the heart and soul of the project. A trusted friend of Tui Mali, he is able to effectively bridge the gap between western and Fijian culture on a daily basis. As former Chief of the Ra province on Viti Levu, Tevita carries a wealth of knowledge with him which he truly enjoys sharing with members of the tribe. Also the Head Gardener/Landscaper on the island, Tevita holds many roles on Vorovoro that are crucial to the project.
Contact Tevita by email: tevita@tribewanted.com
Status: Currently working on Vorovoro
One of the nicest people you will ever meet, Va works as our head chef on a rotating roster with Francis. Va is also Save’s mother
The kitchen is an institution on Vorovoro, and preparing five meals a day is not an easy job. Under the guidance of Head Chefs, Francis and Va, the women’s group of Mali provides additional women to work in the kitchen on a rotating basis. Tribe members may be familiar with some of these assistant chefs, including Tema, Emily, Sila, and Helena, to name a few.
Status: Currently based in the UK
“On January 14, 2006, Ben Keene received an email that changed his life. He had just taken a sip of hot tea when the message from his friend Mark James popped up, and Keene did a double take at the subject line: “A TRIBE IS WANTED.”
Keene and James, both 26, had been brainstorming ideas for an Internet start-up, and Keene was used to receiving email messages full of improbable schemes from his friend. The business plan outlined in the current message didn’t disappoint: We will establish an online community and call it a tribe, James had written. Members will create profiles, post photos, and chat online – the usual stuff – and then do something with no known precedent in the history of the Internet: The virtual tribe will become a real one. We will travel to a desert island, James wrote, and form a partnership with an indigenous tribe. We will build an environmentally friendly tourist facility and show it off to the world as a model of low-impact development. We will be a 21st-century tribe, and you, Ben Keene, will be a chief.”
National Geographic Adventure Magazine, February 2006
Through his work in adventure travel, international development and more recently running time-out magazine, Career Break Cafe , Ben has often found himself in the middle of an adventure in some remote part of the world. So when Ben’s mate Mark challenged him to a bet to form a global tribe that would develop an eco-community on a tropical island, Ben knew that this would be the start of his biggest adventure yet!
Contact Ben by email: bengazi@tribewanted.com
Status: Currently based in Fiji, but not on Vorovoro
Sara Jane is our off-island tribe manager – sales, bookings, marketing, online systems (all the glamourous stuff) and is based on another in island in Fiji
“To walk daily on the sands of Vorovoro, to listen to the Fijian laughter and to be a part of all that Tribewanted is and to witness the development, I feel like one of the luckiest people alive.
It was my brother, Mark, who came up with this idea, since the day he told me, I was inspired and I knew I had to be a part of it. Little did I know then how much my live was about to change, I had done a degree in Psychology and counselling and been working as head of completions for a mortgage brokers, I started working for Tribewanted in April 2006 and moved to Fiji mid Aug 2006. I wouldn’t change a thing, we are all personally growing with this project, living alongside some very wise Fijians, how could you not!
My role has changed and developed with the project, I worked a great deal at the beginning in helping set the project up in Fiji and on the island. Now I spend more time in the office online, which is crucial as that’s were the majority of our members are! Although I couldn’t cut the island out altogether and enjoy doing my first share of work there too.
Vorovoro is more amazing then words can describe, so you need to come here to discover it for yourselves, so I hope to see you on the sands very soon.”
Contact Sara Jane by email: sarajane@tribewanted.com
Status: Currently based in Japan, working online
Aaron is our tribal Web Chief – an all encompassing role, with his main priorities in website development (making our website look good) and is currently based in Japan, having spent 3 months on Vorovoro last year
Aaron began the daunting task of taking over the online side of the Tribewanted project in June of 2007. Trading a cubicle for a sandy beach-front office on Vorovoro, Aaron worked directly with the Tribe to re-imagine the role of the internet with Tribewanted. Half of the goal was realized with the introduction of power to the island, but the lack of a constant connection to the internet continues to be a huge bottleneck.
Since the summer of 2007, Aaron worked remotely with the online community, Ben Keene, Adam Carter and Komodo Design to re-engineer Tribewanted.com. The global team that evolved creates and manages new content and members on the site 24 hours a day, and works to mitigate the problems on internet access on Vorovoro.
In 2008, this work came to fruition with the introduction of a completely overhauled layout, a focus on creating content through blogging, and the introduction of free online membership. Tribewanted’s growth is mirrored by the websites broadening scope as Tribewanted.com continues to be a strong bond between the Tribe and their island.
Contact Aaron by email: aaron@tribewanted.com
Status: Currently based in Australia, working online
Adam is our Online Community Manager – his main role is to manage online content across every facet of the Tribewanted website, and is currently based in Australia after spending time on Vorovoro last year in a number of different capacities
“As an avid follower of all things Tribewanted since day dot, when Ben approached me in November 07 about taking on the role of Online Community Manager there was never any doubt in my mind that this role would be something I could really sink my teeth into. Having traveled to Vorovoro three times within the last calendar year, I feel like I know the island pretty well now, and hopefully through my work with Aaron, Ben, and the rest of the Tribewanted community, we can start to push forward with the online side of the project.
I look forward to hearing from as many tribe members as possible over the coming weeks and months, and I’m more than happy to answer questions you might have about Tribewanted or Tribewanted.com – because, after all, I’m here to help!”
Contact Adam by email: adam@tribewanted.com
Status: Based in Fiji, but not on Vorovoro
By being both the nephew of Tui Mali (Island Chief) and having grown up on Vorovoro, Ulai is intrinsically connected to the heart of the Tribewanted project. A trained lawyer who has practised in Scotland as well as Australia, Ulai is one of the few people who really appreciates what we are trying to achieve both on a global and a local scale with the Tribewanted. Ulai’s role in this important development stage is, alongside Helen, to make sure the voice of the Mali community is represented in the decision making process as well as facilitating all the practical issues on the ground in Fiji. A big fan of rugby, Ulai is most likely to be seen in a skin-tight English Rugby shirt arguing about who really is the best player on the team
Contact Ulai by email: ulai@tribewanted.com
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