Kilifi County · Kenya · Since 2003
Impact
Stories
Stories from the field - community conservation, coral restoration, women leading change, and two decades of ocean stewardship on Kenya's coastline.
25,000 Coral Colonies and Counting: Our Reef Restoration Journey
Since 2019, Oceans Alive and local community divers have hand-planted over 25,000 coral colonies in and around the Kuruwitu co-managed area. Here is the story of how a handful of committed fishers became Kenya's most skilled reef gardeners.
Trash4Cash: How Kilifi's Women Are Turning Plastic Into Power
Women's groups collect, sort, and sell plastic waste - transforming environmental harm into economic independence and community leadership along Kenya's coast.
Growing Up With the Ocean: Youth Conservation at Kuruwitu
For a generation of children growing up on Kenya's coast, the Kuruwitu marine sanctuary is not just a conservation area - it is a classroom, a playground, and a future.
Kenya's Historic Ocean Co-Management Plan: What It Means for Coastal Communities
In January 2022, Oceans Alive made history - delivering Kenya's first formal ocean co-management plan and placing 120 km² under community stewardship.
A King Comes to Kuruwitu: The Royal Visit That Changed Everything
When His Majesty King Charles III walked into the Kuruwitu project in 2023, he carried with him a message that echoed around the world: community conservation works.
World Ocean Day 2024: Celebrating Two Decades of Coastal Stewardship
This year's Ocean Day celebrations in Kilifi brought together over 800 community members, school children, and conservation partners to mark twenty years of protecting Kenya's ocean.
Rebuilding the Sea: How Community Management Is Restoring Kenya's Fisheries
Rotational no-take zones, gear transition programmes, and community-managed marine areas are combining to rebuild fish stocks while maintaining food security for coastal families.
The Next Generation: Building Ocean Leaders at Kuruwitu
Aspiring marine conservationists from Kenya and around the world come to Kuruwitu to learn real conservation - building capacity that lasts far beyond any single funder or project.
From Kilifi to the World Stage: Oceans Alive at IUCN 2025
At the world's largest conservation forum, Oceans Alive presented the Kuruwitu co-management model as a globally scalable blueprint for marine governance - from 30 hectares to a global vision.
Fatuma's Choice: From Empty Nets to Economic Independence
When Fatuma Hamisi joined the Trash4Cash programme, she had no independent income. Three years later, she leads the largest plastic collection group on Kilifi's northern coast - and her daughter wants to be a marine biologist.
Before Sunrise: A Day in the Life of Kilifi's Reef Gardener
Katana Ngala has been underwater almost every working day since 2019. As Oceans Alive's coral restoration technician, he knows each nursery frame by touch. He's the reason thousands of corals are alive today.
In Their Own Words: What the Ocean Means to Kilifi's People
We asked 15 coastal residents - from Kuruwitu to Vipingo - one question: what does the ocean mean to you? Their answers, unedited and unfiltered, are more powerful than any statistic.
LIFT Network Women Launch Kilifi's First Eco-Enterprise Market
Fifteen LIFT Network members have opened Kilifi's first eco-enterprise market at Watamu - a milestone that marks the transition from livelihood support to full economic independence.
World Ocean Day 2025 - Join Us June 8th at Watamu
This year's celebration will be the largest in Kilifi's history - community dives at dawn, reef walks, live music, the launch of our citizen science app, and the opening of the new youth marine education centre.
Volunteer Call: Coral Survey Teams Needed for July 2025
We're recruiting 20 trained volunteers for our Q3 coral monitoring surveys at Kuruwitu. No prior marine experience required - six days of full training provided, accommodation available on request.
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