https://www.oceanexpert.net/expert/86424

Bsc

ECOP (Early Career Ocean Professional)

Fisheries, Aquaculture
Policy, Law, Economics, Management
Pollution
Research Support Services

My work on ocean literacy in Africa focuses on the co-creation and implementation of culturally grounded, community-led education initiatives that integrate ocean science, indigenous knowledge systems, and emotional and ethical connections to the ocean. Core activities include the co-design of place-based blue curricula with teachers, youth, elders, and coastal communities, aligned with the Ocean Literacy Principles, the UN Ocean Decade, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

I lead and support community and school-based learning activities that use storytelling, oral histories, participatory mapping, and experiential learning to strengthen understanding of marine ecosystems, climate change, coastal risks, pollution, and sustainable livelihoods. A key component of this work is the EMOCEANS approach, which documents and integrates emotional, cultural, and spiritual relationships with the ocean into education and stewardship practices.

Additional activities include capacity development for teachers and Early Career Ocean Professionals, youth leadership training, facilitation of community dialogues, and support for locally led stewardship actions such as mangrove restoration and coastal awareness initiatives. I also engage in policy-relevant knowledge translation, advocacy for equitable and indigenous-informed ocean governance, and contribution to regional and international processes under UNESCO and the UN Ocean Decade.

Monitoring, reflection, and participatory evaluation are embedded throughout the work to assess impacts on knowledge, attitudes, emotional connection, and pro-environmental behavior, ensuring relevance, scalability, and long-term sustainability of African-led ocean literacy initiatives.

Gulf of Guinea
Global

• Ocean Literacy & Environmental Education: Design and implementation of ocean literacy programmes aligned with Ocean Literacy Principles, the UN Ocean Decade, and the SDGs, with a focus on African coastal and inland contexts.

• Curriculum Design & Co-Creation: Development of place-based, culturally responsive blue curricula through participatory methods involving educators, youth, elders, fishers, and community stakeholders.

• Indigenous & Local Knowledge Integration: Ability to ethically document, translate, and integrate indigenous, cultural, and spiritual knowledge systems into formal and non-formal ocean education.

• EMOCEANS & Socio-Emotional Learning: Application of emotional intelligence, storytelling, and ethnographic approaches to strengthen human–ocean connections, stewardship, and environmental ethics.

• Community Engagement & Facilitation: Skilled in participatory workshops, dialogue facilitation, intergenerational learning, and community-led action planning in diverse cultural settings.

• Youth Leadership & Capacity Development: Training and mentoring Early Career Ocean Professionals and youth leaders in facilitation, systems thinking, science communication, and community action.

• Policy Translation & Advocacy: Translation of community knowledge and research into policy-relevant briefs and contributions to ocean governance, education policy, and international processes.

• Research & Evaluation: Design of qualitative and mixed-methods research tools, participatory monitoring and evaluation, impact assessment, and reflective learning processes.

• Science Communication: Clear, inclusive communication of complex ocean and climate issues to non-technical audiences, decision-makers, and international stakeholders.

• Partnership Building & Coordination: Experience working across NGOs, academia, communities, governments, and UN-linked programmes to build trusted, equitable collaborations.

• Project Management & Leadership: Coordination of multi-stakeholder initiatives, reporting, timeline management, and strategic alignment with regional and global frameworks.

English
German

ResearchGate

https://www.thegreenpromise.org