We look forward to welcoming the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage and the crew of the Hōkūkeʻa to Cape Town at the V&A Waterfront’s North Warf on 21 November for a traditional Hawaiian ceremony as well as rides in traditional canoes. On the day, you can meet this inspirational team who will be guiding various activities inside the Two Oceans Aquarium from 9:30am to 12pm.

The crew is made up of 12 teachers and 12 students, all eager to share their journey and learn from ours, and on a mission to connect likeminded people all over the globe.

The Mālama Honua voyage sees an iconic vessel, the Hōkūkeʻa, sail around the planet to grow a global movement toward a more sustainable world. The voyage began in Hawaiʻi in 2013 – the entire trip will traverse 60 000 nautical miles, 100 ports and 27 nations, including 12 of UNESCO’s Marine World Heritage sites. They aim to be back home by June 2017.

Hōkūleʻa and her crew are now almost halfway around the world from their home port, and look to Africa, the cradle of civilisation, for indigenous and local wisdom to further the message of global connectedness, sustainability, and to help create a future that includes healthy oceans.

Guiding principals

Mālama honua, the guiding value of the voyage, in Hawaiian means “caring for island earth.” It is a message similar to South African ubuntu philosophy of community and caring.

When Hōkūkeʻa stops in Cape Town in November, her crew will be searching for local examples of mālama honua and sharing these stories of hope with communities around the world.

Ancient navigation practices

Guiding the voyage, there is no compass, sextant, cellphone or GPS for direction. The navigator and crew find their way by the stars, sun, moon and other natural elements. This ancient practice of navigating and voyaging was recovered and reclaimed by the Polynesian Voyaging Society for Hawaiʻi, where this masterful art had been absent for 600 years.

While in South Africa, the Hōkūkeʻa crew will aim to:

• Meet and exchange with Africans and explore a place where we have never before voyaged.
• Share Hōkūleʻa’s story of inspiration, hope, and the resurgence of indigenous values that bring people of Island Earth together to care for her oceans, land and people.
• Share voyaging practices and values that teach us to work collaboratively to steward our limited resources, and take guidance from our natural surroundings.
• Inspire new and ongoing collaborations between youth, communities, and leaders from Hawaiʻi and South Africa to navigate our local and global communities toward positive change.

Meet the crew!

You’re invited to join us on 21 November for planet-loving activities guided by these voyagers.

The crew will have a full schedule while they’re in the country, so be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay abreast of everything that’s going on!