Dream Village

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I had the privilege of a life time being welcomed into the community of Naocobau. The village consists of less than 100 people however the love and sense of community in Naocobau is overwhelming. Situated in the province of Ra, the village overlooks the sea on both sides with tropical views for as far as the eye can see. Naocobau is genuinely an untouched pocket of sunshine that is not accessible for the average tourist. 

Cyclone Winston was the largest tropical cyclone recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. When it hit Fiji the village of Naocobau was the only village deemed 'ground 0', meaning every single house was destroyed. After a year of hardships and living in tents, a South Korean company offered to rebuild all 36 houses in the village for free. The Fijians have renamed their village 'dream village' and describe this act of kindness as a miracle.

The village until a couple of years ago was completely cut off from cars and was only accessible by foot. This was until the community collectively saved up to build a road and fund a bus so that the children could get to school inn a fraction of the time. Before this it would take them one hour and 50 minutes to get to school and this has been cut down to 20 minutes. The school bus route is something that the village is incredibly proud of and should act as a reminder to never taking anything for granted. 


The village consisted of some houses, most of which had a tin hut round the back for cooking and cleaning. The people of Naocobau take great pride in their homes and they are full of memories, despite all of their belongings being cruelly taken away from them by cyclone Winston. As well as the houses, there is the church which holds the church service every Sunday. Right now, Naocobau is raising money to rebuild the community hall as a place for the community to come together. 


Its safe to say that waking up to these views every morning was something I will be eternally grateful for.






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