ORP welcomes Community Outreach Coordinator Imaha (Kaia) Mohamed
Kaia joined the ORP team in August as our first Maldivian Community Outreach Coordinator. This one-year full-time position was made possible by a grant from the Body Shop Foundation. Kaia hit the ground running with workshops, clean-ups, and training seminars for her fellow Maldivians. Check out some of Kaia’s community outreach activities so far.
Fish Camp on the island of Baa Thulaidhoo, August 2016
At Fish Camp, school children from three local schools were educated on the topics of sea turtle biology, threats and conservation, and the effects of marine littering. Fish Camp students visited Olhugiri Island for practical sessions and an inland excursion to observe illegally taken sea turtle nests. In addition they took part in a small beach clean up: The students collected over 20 bags of plastic in 15 minutes!
Fish Camp was organized by Soneva Fushi Resort in cooperation with the Ministry of Fisheries. The Marine Research Centre, Parley for the Oceans and other resorts also participated; security for the students were provided by the Maldivian Coast Guard.
World Tourism Day, September 27, 2016
Our par
tner Coco Collection Resort, Coco Bodu Hithi Maldives, invited us to give a presentation to resort guests and staff to mark World Tourism Day in September. Kaia spoke about ghost nets and the importance of turtle conservation, and she organized a beach and lagoon clean up. The day ended with a special management cocktail party to celebrate World Tourism Day.
We would like to give special thanks to Lisa Bauer from Coco for all her hard work and support.
Workshop for the Rotaract Club of Male, September 2016
In September, Kaia held a workshop on Ghost Gear Data Collection and Waste Segregation for the Rotaract Club of Male’, the local youth wing of Rotary International.
Post the workshop, seven volunteers from the Rotaract Club of Male and Damage Control cleared a total of 10 bags of waste from a small area in Hulhumale; in a span of one hour they collected 2 bags of clean recyclable plastics, 1 bag of of metal energy drink cans, and 3 bags of general waste!
Kaia is looking forward to working with more local island groups to spread awareness about sea turtle conservation, ghost nets, and the impact of litter on our fragile marine ecosystems.
Please contact us via info@oliveridleyproject.org to organize a ghost net workshop or a beach or lagoon clean-up in your area.
