Part Two of Three Parts
“Fortuna joined OIC with zero, and wants to reach 250,000 sales in 5 years and 2 million in 10 years,” said Ahmed Elseoud, OIC project management mentor.
In Somalia, the extensive coastline has the potential to transform the economy through a sustainable Blue Economy, relying on fishing techniques passed down for generations. The equipment carries a high price tag–a new gill net costs from $400 to $600, but a lack of time and resources limits essential net repairs and maintenance.
OIC innovator the African Development Trust is releasing an untapped resource by training an initial 20 women from the coastal communities of southwest Somalia who were traditionally not involved in this work.
“This innovative approach challenges traditional gender roles, creating new opportunities for women in the maritime sector, enabling them to support their families and contributing to a stronger and more inclusive Somali economy” said Abdurazak Mohamed of the African Development Trust.
The pilot will be replicated to other fishing communities in Somalia to improve family livelihoods and reduce poverty, leading to a broader transformation of cultural perceptions around female contributions to the economy.
In Bangladesh, St. Martin Island is unique–it has the country’s only coral bed. The country has designated the site a Marine Protected Area, but MPAs are notoriously difficult to make effective, because each site has its own special context and requirements. (To be continued)
