Protect our ocean & safeguard livelihoods in Kenya

Powering up the Mama Karanga Movement

Last June, our Marketing & Communications Executive Luis Zafra visited our local Project Partner Oceans Alive Kenya and had the privilege of learning with the Mama Karangas, local fishmonger women who act as guardians of the coast. Through them, he could see first hand the incredible impact of donor support to this project.

Leveraging their unique market position when buying fish as it reaches the coast, they make sure that no undersize fish get sold, motivating fishermen to refrain from using illegal fishing gear that traps fish that is too young to be sold. This way, they protect the health of the coast and their livelihoods at the same time.

But the challenges did not stop there and neither did they. The Mama Karangas noticed how plastic pollution was choking their ecosystems, so they started to take it away from the coast, bringing it with them every time the came back from buying fish (which is every day).

Plastic, glass, bottles, discarded fishing lines and nets, all represent deadly hazards to local fauna like the fish their lives depend on, or endangered sea turtles. Through their initiative, the coast became less polluted, wildlife had less obstacles to trive, and what is more, the recyclables became a source of extra income for them and their families. 

At Pelorus Foundation we work diretcly with our partners to learn what would help them best. The  Mama Karangas of Kuruwitu explained to us how a safe space to come together as a group and some equipment to better classify and transform recyclables could increase the effectiveness of their efforts and ultimately support other communities around them, (the Mama Karangas of Kuruwitu represented an average of 18 women, not counting their daughters, who usually come with), as the coast of Kilifi County has an estimated 70 more Mama Karangas across 5 other landing sites (meeting points between fishermen and fishmonger women).

So, how did donor support make a difference?

Thanks to donors, the Mama Karangas were able to restore a nearby cottage which was missing its roof, also building three separate bins with brickwork to better classify types of plastic, glass, or cans. With this space, the group can better coordinate to recycle and re-sell more effectively, but also to better support each other as women. For example, the Mama Karangas explained to Luis how they operate a weekly merry-go-round system whereby each member gives a bit of money and one member receives it depending on pressing needs such as school uniforms or doctor visits.

It does not stop there. Donors also facilitated the purchase of a cart to collect and transport trash from the coast (making their work much easier, especially for glass). They also received training on how to transform the recyclables to increase their selling value, alongside safety equipment to protect them while doing so, but the group explained to Luis that their day is so hectic (with barely 40 mins of free time to have lunch), that at the moment what works best for them is reselling weaved products like baskets that are already second nature to them and can do while talking. Finally, during the ceremony which celebrated the handing over of the cart, the Mama Karangas also received a uniform in the form of a T-shirt, co-designed with Oceans Alive Kenya showing the trash 4 cash project, the Kuruwitu women's group, Oceans Alive Kenya, and Pelorus Foundation, adding a new layer of pride and ownership to the project.

Our partnership continues to work to make even more of a difference for this incredible community.