Seaweed my Father my Mother, Kwale Women Say

By Caroline Katana 

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

In the shallow turquoise waters of Kenya’s south coast, a silent blue economy revolution is taking shape; led not by large vessels or corporations, but by barefoot women like Ashura Sheboi.

“I no longer depend on my husband! Seaweed is my father and mother,” says Ashura, a farmer from the Tumbe Seaweed Group in Kwale County. “I pay school fees for my children and support myself fully through seaweed farming.”

Ashura is one of hundreds of women transforming not only their families’ futures, but also Kenya’s approach to sustainable marine livelihoods. 

Her journey began with training from Plan International, which introduced coastal communities to seaweed farming as a sustainable, climate-resilient alternative to overfishing.

“Before I received training, my life was extremely difficult,” she says. “Now I’ve learned proper farming techniques, and everything has changed. I can harvest every month and earn up to Ksh10,000.”

Speaking during World Seaweed Day celebrations held at Mkunguni of Msambweni Subcounty graced by County governor Fatuma Achani, she pointed to a table full of local products including chapatis, lotions, cakes, soap and even doughnuts – all made using seaweed. 

“What you see here today was made by our own hands from seaweed harvested right here.”

Regional Trend with Significance

Kenya’s coastal seaweed movement mirrors a growing trend across Africa’s Indian Ocean and Atlantic coastlines.

In Zanzibar, seaweed has long been the third-largest export, employing over 25,000 women. In Madagascar, farmers grow it for use in fertilizers and cosmetics. In Senegal and Ghana, pilot projects link seaweed to mangrove restoration and food security.

Kwale County is now becoming part of this broader regional story.

According to Mtengo Omar Makame, chair of the Beach Management Units (BMUs) in Kwale, 23 units are working to protect marine ecosystems while encouraging seaweed cultivation.

“Seaweed farming provides an alternative to fishing and supports sustainable fisheries,” he says. “It also restores degraded ocean areas. We’ve seen fish return, and even turtles — which are attracting eco-tourists again.”

Restoring Oceans

The project, implemented in Kwale and Kilifi counties, has so far supported about 800 farmers, 617 of them being women. It’s part of a larger Plan International initiative focused on conservation and sustainable management of coastal and marine ecosystems.

“Traditionally, men go out to sea while women stay behind,” explains Alfred Rono, the seaweed project coordinator plan international Kenya. “But seaweed farming allows women to participate in economic activities from home, building resilience at both household and community levels.”

The seaweed project in the county stretches across 56,000 meters of rope lines, laid out like invisible farms beneath the water’s surface.

Each line represents a family’s hope — a woman’s hustle — and an ocean’s renewal.

Every 45 days, farmers harvest and dry their crop, which is later used in products like soap, lotion, juice, snacks, and even animal feed.

Global Potential, Local Challenge

Despite its potential, the sector faces several challenges familiar across the region: weak infrastructure, poor road access, limited drying space, and — critically — market instability.

“Farmers sometimes store seaweed for six months without a buyer,” Makame says. “Most of the time, individual traders from Tanzania buy it at a low price, which doesn’t benefit the Kenyan farmers.”

Another issue is regulation. Kenya still classifies seaweed as a fish, not a plant, under its marine resource laws. This limits its recognition as a cash crop, cutting off farmers from the kinds of government support available to tea or coffee growers.

“Seaweed is not a fish,” says Rono. “It should be legally recognized as a plant — a high-value economic crop. That recognition would open up new support structures, investment, and growth.”

Sustainability Meets Safety

Plan International has also focused on farmer safety, providing life jackets and protective footwear to prevent injuries from sea urchins, fish spines, or jellyfish stings. 

Swimming skills remain essential — a challenge for many older women.

“Safety in the ocean is a priority,” he says. “And we make sure they’re equipped, even if they didn’t grow up swimming.”

With donor support, the originally five-year project was compressed into three — but has now received a one-year extension to scale up results and finalize market connections. The goal is not just survival but sustainable economic transformation.

Call for Policy Shift and Investment

As the world looks for climate-smart, women-led, nature-based solutions, seaweed farming in Kenya offers a powerful case study. It’s low-input, high-impact, and deeply tied to local knowledge and community needs.

But unlocking its full potential requires both national policy reform and international investment.

“Right now, these women produce amazing products — but only for the local market,” says the coordinator. “We need buyers. Globally, seaweed is used in medicine, fertilizers, food additives, cosmetics — the possibilities are enormous.”

For Ashura, the transformation is personal. “Seaweed has made me a brave woman. It gave me back my independence — and my pride.”

As climate challenges intensify and fish stocks continue to dwindle, Kenya’s seaweed farmers offer a simple but radical solution; cultivate the ocean, uplift women, and restore the Earth.