07 Aug
2006 - Kiwayu, Kenya – On the scenic beaches of
Kiwayu on Kenya’s northern Indian Ocean coast,
WWF is combining conservation work with social
development to improve the health of people and
wildlife.
In addition to focusing on marine
turtle conservation as part of WWF’s Kiunga national
marine reserve conservation and development project,
the global conservation organization has helped
construct a new medical dispensary in the nearby
village of Mkokoni.
“The purpose of the project
is not only to make a significant contribution
to the sustainable conservation of the reserve’s
habitat, but to improve the livelihoods of local
communities who live here,” said Sam Weru of WWF’s
Eastern Africa Regional Programme Office (EARPO).
“The health of the local community
is very important, especially as they play an
important role in our conservation efforts.”
Together with the WWF Kiunga
project team, local communities, including the
village of Mkokoni, have been actively involved
in the marine turtle conservation. Through a volunteer
programme, local youth are assisting WWF field
staff with beach patrols and turtle nesting surveillance.
And women collect beach litter that impedes nesting
female turtles and their emerging hatchlings.
With thousands of plastic beach shoes continually
being washed ashore, WWF has also trained women
in recycling some of the litter into handicrafts
for sale. The recycled handiworks bring in up
to US$65 a month, often more than men earn from
fishing.
This new income allows households
to buy clothes and educate their children. Currently
there are about 80 children attending the Mkokoni
primary school in Kiwayu, almost half of them
girls.
Three years ago, WWF linked
up with global pharmaceutical and healthcare products
manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID)
in an effort to integrate environmental conservation
with social and health needs. Through this partnership,
WWF has been able to conduct several mobile health
clinics in Kiunga and surrounding areas to provide
direct healthcare to the community.
• Designated as a national marine
reserve in 1979, Kiunga covers 25,000ha of land
and seascapes, including mangroves, mudflats,
lagoons, sand dunes, beaches, sand islands, raised
reef islands, seagrass beds and coral reefs. It
is also home to a wide range of species, including
green, hawksbill and leatherback turtles, white-cheeked,
bridled, and roseate terns (the largest breeding
colony in the world), pelicans, flamingoes, dugongs,
dolphins, and whales.
• The newly built dispensary
in the village of Mkokoni was made possible with
contributions from WWF, Johnson & Johnson,
USAID and the Kenyan Ministry of Health.
Kimunya Mugo
