Sea PoWer is an international NGO registered in Tanzania (No. I-NGO/R/2897) established in early 2022. Sea PoWer is constituted of a team of renowned women scientists working hand-in-hand with women seaweed farmers in coastal communities.
Sea PoWer was co-founded by Drs. Flower Msuya, Cecile Brugere, Narriman Jiddawi and Betty Nyonje. Together they are passionate about seaweed farming and dream of empowering women economically while protecting marine ecosystems in Zanzibar, Tanzania and beyond.
Seaweed farming in Tanzania is a key economic activity and provides a compelling way to integrate marine protection and aquaculture for improved livelihoods. 80% of seaweed farmers are women but their activity is threatened by four key challenges:
1. Climate change impacts on seaweed growth and productivity. As a result, quality is poor, yields and prices are low.
2. The traditional seaweed farming technology is inadequate, and working conditions for women are tough and unsafe.
3. Most of the seaweed is exported unprocessed. There are post-harvest and marketing bottlenecks and a lack of familiarity with processing techniques, which results in missed opportunities for local value addition.
4. Finally, seaweed farming competes for space with other economic activities such as tourism, and women seaweed farmers lack a voice and agency to represent their interests in policy and Blue Economy development discussions.
Sea PoWer was created to address these challenges through the introduction of tubular nets, a deep-water seaweed farming innovation. From a project, it has since grown into an organisation with multiple partners, that is able to reach more women and empower them to draw greater benefits from their seaweed harvests.
Sea PoWer’s vision is to reach women’s empowerment and equitable development through seaweed farming innovation and transformation.
Sea PoWer’s mission is to achieve, in partnership with women seaweed producers, an adapted seaweed farming technology that transforms women’s lives and enables the sustainable integration of seaweed farming in the local economic and ecological landscapes of Tanzania and beyond.
Director of Soulfish Research & Consultancy in the UK. Cecile's work focuses on the human dimensions of sustainable aquaculture and fisheries. She has promoted gender equality and women's empowerment from aquaculture development throughout her career.
Senior Marine Scientist and Head of Research unit at the Zanzi Marine and Coastal Solutions Ltd. Zanzibar. Narriman has extensive experience working with women and coastal communities of Tanzania and in empowering women economically through sustainable use of coastal resources.
Chairperson of the Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative (ZaSCI). Flower is a renown seaweed expert and pioneer in the development of seaweed farming innovations in the Western Indian Ocean. She also works with seaweed farmers to bring innovation and value addition into the seaweed industry.
Sea PoWer is currently working with three groups of women seaweed farmers, totalling 45 women, in Dimani Ndambani and Muungoni on the island of Unguja and in Makangale, on the island of Pemba.
Sea PoWer is proud to support and collaborate with these women who are pioneering a new method to farm seaweed, improving their skills and knowledge, building their confidence and promoting improved, safer seaweed farming practices among their peers.
International NGO registered in Tanzania.
Sea PoWer supports the adoption of improved seaweed farming innovation for women’s empowerment and climate resilience. Read More
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