Our Team: meet the people leading the tribe

For the first year of the project we will have a number of experts join us from Sierra Leone and overseas. In the years that follow the aim is for more local residents to take on management roles.

Project Directors

Ben Keene: Founder of Tribewanted, first visited Sierra Leone in 2009 to work with a football academy . Ben will be living at John Obey for the development stages of the project.
“For our second tribe we could have opted for an ‘easier destination’. But after meeting with Filippo and seeing Salone’s potential I knew we had an opportunity to try and play a small part in the regeneration of this amazing country. Will it be easy? No. Will it be worth it? 100%.” Ben’s blog .

Filippo Bozotti: producer of VH1 documentary Bling, which took several hip hop stars to Sierra Leone to show them the reality of the diamond trade, has teamed up with Ben to start this new project. Filippo has been visiting the country for five years. Filippo’s Blog on Global Grind. Watch Filippo talk about the project on NBC.

Michel Sho Sawyer: Sierra Leonean born, Michel, returned from the United States in 2009 to support the new government in attracting sustainable tourism to the country.

Tribe Manager online: Melanie Courbet
melanie.courbet@tribewanted.com

Shine on Sierra Leone: Tiffany Persons
Although many may have a scarred impression of Sierra Leone, I see the true Sierra Leone. I think of beautiful beaches, wonderful warm people, and an incredible generation of young people that believe in peace and a new bright future. Which is why Shine On Sierra Leone exists… because we believe that these young people deserve the support and opportunity to rebuild their lives, their country, and the world. We’re hoping you’ll join us on this incredible adventure and see just how spectacular Sierra Leone and our world can be…”

Tribe Manager local: Daniel McCoy
Daniel has been living at River #2 for 22 years, he has a certificate as a tour-guide from a Freetown college and has been working in tourism for 15 years. He is the Co-founder of the River #2 beach boys, a community association of 47 young men that has been working on bringing tourism back to Sierra Leone. They put all the revenues they make from their bungalows, restaurant and drinks at River #2 back in a community pool and divide accordingly. Daniel says the right kind of tourism can be biggest opportunity for SL. The most important thing in Sierra Leone he says is job creation of youths and tourism is important because it provides cross cultural experiences. He is worried about the threat of mass tourism causing pollution, and destroying virgin places like Tiway island in the south east of SL, a habitat for many species. He doesn’t think there can be another war, the govt. is good and is fighting corruption. The only way for people to change perceptions is to come and see.

Community Manager: James Kanu
Like Daniel, he is the co-founder of River #2 beach boys community association. It takes them 2 years of making money to build 1 bungalow that costs $6.000. Says country needs tourism, agriculture, fishing and that the biggest problems is job facility and cost of living. $6-7/day for family of 4. During war couldn’t leave village to get food. Couldn’t go fishing. Patrolling soldiers on beach would take best catch of the day. He worked at Africana hotel next to River #2 community, run by French from ’87-’94) 5 star hotel 380 rooms, hired mostly people from Freetown though. James and Elija (our cook) were beach boys/tourist guide. There were a lot of tourists from France. But then the war came and it was burned down. Now its just a pile of ruins on the beach. James says resources are bad for SL because people don’t benefit from it. He brings up the fact that the country has a history of slavery and then a one party system. Says SL must change the perception with good governance and democracy and education.

Paul Sieh – John Obey Village Secretary
John is the Secretary of the John Obey village (2nd in command) and pastor of the Baptist church (used to be Muslim but then converted). He is also the teacher at the local school of 3rd and 4th grade. Paul’s father is oldest man in community. Paul has 16 siblings. 2 daughters 1 wife and was born and raised in John Obey. In Senior secondary school (high school) in Freetown he studied business. Paul is only adult who can read or write in the village (along with Hasan, the headman of the community). That’s why he became pastor and converted. It took 3 years training, he has been a pastor since 17. He has been a Teacher since 2005. He says he gets more respect if you a pastor. Gets $40/month as a salary for teacher from govt but spends $30 in transport/food costs. He has been community Secretary 9 years and is responsible for keeping records of financials, records of village, land, write letters. Lived in John Obey during war, escaped to River #2 when rebels were approaching, when he came back everything was burned.

Poyo (Palm wine) is his favorite drink. He is Limba by tribe. Limba’s are best at making poyo. Drink every morning and evening! His hope is to see John Obey grow, more people and work for youths. In last 10 years the village went from 8 to 25 houses, where 370 people live. Another 120 fishermen live by the beach. Has hope for SL because president has vision, is investing in electricity and health and Infrastructure/roads. The most needed thing is employment for youth. Youths are roaming streets without jobs. In the whole village of John Obey there are 3 generators, they just built a New Cinema. (shack with wooden seats and an old small tv powered by a generator. Before Tribewanted, the biggest employment from outside organizations was the quarry which employed 9 people. Few of them engage in agriculture since the govt. has made the peninsula a reservation and there cannot be anymore deforestation.

Front of Beach: Nathan Johnson

Permaculture Manager: Alejandro Arango

My name is Alejandro Arango Berrocal, Costarican, Central American, I am multi active and hyperactive person, dancer, acrobatics, adventure sports, walking my spiritual path, architect student finishing my studies.

Already working in eco-building techniques, for the last years start to involve with permaculture, 3 friends and me + permaculture specialist Itai Hauben (www.symbiosis-eco-design.com), built a project called HuertasDondeSea (Planting Gardens Anywhere), which involves workshops and different theory-practical, this initiative took us, and other eco-interdisciplinary activist, to join and build an NGO, named “Grupo Armonia” (http://grupoarmonia.org)

Cal Earth Hooman Fazly
I’m originally from Iran, and grew up traveling back and forth to the United States. I moved to the US full-time in my late teens to go to college and obtained my BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley in 2003. I was working in a suburban residential construction company when the Bam earthquake in late December overwhelmed me with grief and initiated my search for a practical, simple and environmental alternative. If all of us are one life changing event away from being a different person, Bam was what started it for me. It did not take long for me to find Nader Khalili and Cal-Earth, and even shorter to realize that this work was the only viable option. I started my longterm apprenticeship in Summer of 2004 and have been involved with Cal-Earth and Super-Adobe since

Energy Partner: Mark Ax – Sea Bright Solar
I was born in southern California, raised in the mountains of Colorado and attended university at Kenyon College in Ohio. I lived in New York City for most of my adult life and I have also lived in London where I worked at the Globe theatre. For years I used to be a theatre director and lighting designer and then through a long process I found myself being drawn into the world of Solar Energy. I am now the CFO of Sea Bright Solar in New Jersey.

Beach Kitchen: Elijah Eccles & team

Security, transport, gardens, building: John Obey Community