Project turns youth into active marine conservation advocates

TANGA: YOUNG people in Vuo Village, Mkinga District, are emerging as a new driving force in community-led marine conservation following specialised training and seed funding.

The training was provided under the Pwani Yetu project, a programme aimed at empowering coastal communities to protect the environment while improving livelihoods.

The initiative, implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in partnership with Mwambao Coastal Community Network Tanzania, is helping youth and women reduce heavy dependence on marine resources while actively participating in the protection of coral reefs, monitoring illegal fishing activities, restoring mangroves and engaging in alternative income-generating activities such as seaweed farming and small-scale businesses.

As part of the support package, five community groups comprising a total of 150 members, most of them young people received a combined 10.5m/- to establish income-generating projects. The initiative is expected to reduce pressure on the fragile marine ecosystem while creating sustainable economic opportunities for youth and women.

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Speaking during the handover ceremony, Mwambao Planning Coordinator, Mr Abubakar Masoud, said empowering young people remains central to reversing environmental degradation along Tanzania’s northern coastline.

“Most of our beneficiaries are young people who depend heavily on the sea for survival,” he said. “By equipping them with conservation skills and providing them with start-up capital, we are enabling them to chart a new future, one that protects marine resources rather than depletes them.” Mr Masoud urged the beneficiary groups to manage the funds responsibly to ensure that the intended outcomes of the Pwani Yetu project are realised over the long term.

Tanga Regional Mwambao Coordinator, Mr Ahmad Salim, said the training conducted before the release of funds was deliberately designed to build confidence, responsibility and self-reliance among the youth.

“We trained them in environmental stewardship, financial management and economic planning because we want them to be independent, even when the project phases out,” he explained.

“The youth of Vuo Village now have the knowledge and skills to serve as ambassadors of marine conservation.” The Pwani Yetu project has been implemented across Tanzania’s coastline with the aim of strengthening local marine governance by empowering youth, women and village committees to lead conservation initiatives.

In Vuo Village, the project has already begun changing attitudes, with young people who previously relied almost entirely on fishing now exploring alternative livelihoods while taking pride in safeguarding their coastal environment.

For the village, the intervention marks a shift towards a more sustainable relationship with the sea anchored in youth leadership, economic diversification and a growing sense of ownership over marine resources that future generations will depend on.