Funding from the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund

Just before Christmas we received the amazing news that we had been selected for a grant from the Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ) Conservation Fund as part of their temporary redirection of funds into supporting small, grassroots organisations who are struggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding has come at a critical time for the Kwanini Foundation and will enable us to continue our core conservation work in Pemba. As a result of the MBZ grant we will be able to maintain 24-hour surveillance of the Kwanini Marine Protected Area (KMPA) through our team of nine rangers. Without the presence of the ranger team, the coral reef of the KMPA, which has been protected from fishing activity for seven years, would be extremely vulnerable to renewed exploitation. As well has maintaining the ranger team, the grant will also enable us to resume our community outreach programme which will be led by Abdulrahim, our Assistant Project Officer. Abdulrahim will be working closely with our gender specialists, Rabia and Aisha, liaising with local communities to prevent overfishing and understand more about local reliance on marine resources. The team will also be delivering our environmental education programme on conservation which we hope will increase understanding of the importance of the KMPA and how local fishermen can benefit from the protection offered.

We will be creating a dedicated Project page on our website for the activities we will be undertaking under MBZ funding very soon. Keep an eye on our social media pages for updates on the work undertaken by the ranger and community teams.

You can find out more about the Mohamed bin Zayed Conservation Fund via their website at the following link: https://www.speciesconservation.org/.