A Livelihood Project
Building Resilience of Seaweed Farmers in Zanzibar, This is research project which supported by Global Seaweed Star (GSS) and aim to address challenges facing seaweed farmers and to identify the best ways to build their resilience. The challenges in climate change, low seaweed price, low level of production and quality of seaweed were identified and proposed the best way to overcome them. The project implemented by Milele Zanzibar Foundation (MZF) as the core implementer and The Panje Project (TPP).
The project beneficiary
The project covered both islands Unguja and Pemba and involved about 6 groups of seaweed farmers which give the total number of 120 seaweed farmers as direct beneficiary. On the other hand, about 300 people were benefited as indirectly.
Overall Objective
The main Objective: To create knowledge around building various capacities of 120 seaweed farmers (90% of women in 6 groups from and 3 villages (Shehias) on producing and handling quality seaweed in deeper sea waters to increase livelihood opportunities and strengthening resilience.
Specific Objective1: To understand the socio-cultural (confidence, economic, cultural/social assumptions) and technical (skills, resources) context, including barriers and drivers, to seaweed production, sea safety and swimming skills of the seaweed farmers.
Specific Objective 2: To design and deliver appropriate training on how to increase the quantity and quality of seaweed and on aquatic safety/survival swimming skills
Specific Objective 3: To deliver relevant training on management/leadership and negotiation skills to seaweed associations to build their resilience to multiple shocks.
In this project the seaweed farmers were incapacitated on deep water seaweed farming technique, sea safety and swimming skills technique as well as village saving loan groups techniques. All of these techniques helped them to build resilience among themselves and the surrounding communities.