Kilifi County, Kenya
Our 5 Programs
Five integrated programs spanning ocean recovery, women's empowerment, learning & leadership, governance, and research—forming a complete model for community-led conservation that centers the people who depend on the sea.
Our Integrated Approach
The Tengefu Model
Tengefu is a Swahili word for a protected space that belongs to everyone. It is the principle at the heart of everything Oceans Alive does.
Conservation that works begins and ends with the communities who call the ocean home. At Oceans Alive Foundation, no programme stands alone. Our fourteen initiatives are deliberately interlocked - reef restoration that trains community divers, governance structures that carry fisher voices to national policy, women's livelihoods that reduce pressure on fish stocks, and youth education that plants the next generation of reef guardians.
When communities own their conservation, they defend it. When it provides livelihoods, they sustain it. When it educates their children, they pass it on.
Partnership · Coral Guardian International
01 / Flagship Programme
Coral Restoration
Since 2019, Oceans Alive has partnered with Coral Guardian to rebuild Kilifi's degraded reefs. Community fishers are trained as certified reef gardeners - growing coral fragments in underwater nurseries and transplanting them to bleached areas. The programme blends world-class marine science with deep local ownership.
Also in the Coral Programme
- 85%Coral survival rate from nursery to reef - well above the global average
- 6 yrsOf active reef gardening by trained community divers
- 400%Increase in fish biomass within the protected tengefu since restoration began
- ∞"The reef is not just recovering - it is growing. We see fish we haven't seen in twenty years." - Community diver, Kuruwitu
The Full Picture
5 Integrated Programs
Five interconnected programs spanning ocean recovery, women's empowerment, learning, governance, and research—forming a complete model for community-led conservation.
Ocean Recovery
Healthy oceans support healthy communities. Our Ocean Recovery Program helps coastal communities protect and restore the ecosystems they depend on, from coral reefs and fisheries to sea turtle habitats.
Social Health Environment (Sustainable Households & Enterprises)
Conservation is strongest when communities have secure livelihoods and opportunities for the future. The Social Health Environment program supports women, youth and vulnerable households to strengthen incomes, improve food security and build resilience while reducing pressure on marine resources.
Learning & Leadership
Lasting conservation depends on knowledge, skills and local leadership. Our Learning & Leadership Program uses the ocean as a classroom, helping young people, community members and conservation practitioners build the confidence and experience needed to lead change.
Governance & Sustainable Fisheries
Strong governance is essential for effective conservation. This program strengthens local institutions, empowers communities to participate in decision-making and promotes sustainable fisheries management through collaborative governance systems.
Research, Innovation & Sustainable Finance
This programme generates the evidence, innovation and financial sustainability needed to support long-term conservation impact. By combining scientific monitoring, community knowledge and sustainable revenue models, Oceans Alive demonstrates how conservation can be both effective and financially resilient.
Why It Works
4 Principles Behind Every Programme
In Kilifi, the word tengefu describes a protected space that the whole community guards. Our programme design starts from that principle.
Community Ownership
Every programme is co-designed with fishing communities, BMUs, and local leaders. Ownership drives the accountability that makes outcomes last.
Integrated Impact
Restoring a reef only works if the community has other income sources. Teaching children only works if their parents have secure livelihoods. Our programmes are deliberately interconnected.
Evidence-Led Action
Research and monitoring underpin every programme. Data collected by community reef monitors informs national policy - closing the loop between science and governance.
Gender at the Core
Women are agents of conservation, not beneficiaries. LIFT Network, Trash4Cash, and kitchen gardens are designed to expand women's economic independence alongside ocean stewardship.
International Partnerships
World-Class Expertise Supporting Community-Led Action
Partner With Our Programmes
NGOs, governments, research institutions, and businesses - every partnership strengthens community conservation.