Community Environmental Sustainable Mariculture Self Help Group – COMENSUM SHG

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COMENSUM Self help Group Brief Background

Year of Establishment: Established in 2012 with the main purpose to rehabilitate degraded and destructed mangrove forest along Mtwapa creek as livelihood option.

Location: Situated in Shanzu area – 3 km westward behind Shimo La Tewa Annex Prison in Majaoni Village along Mtwapa Creek

Area under rehabilitation by the group:

Kenya Forest Service authorized 20 hectares to the group where at least 150,000 Mangroves have been planted so far.

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Mangroves species growing in the area: 9 species - Avicenia Marina, BruguieraGymnorrhiza, Ceriops Tagal, Heritiera Littorallis, Lumnitzera Racemosa, RhizophoraMucronata, Sonneratia Alba, XylocarpusGranatum, Xylocarpus Moluccensis

Project Area & Community

Location: Majaoni Village is located at the northern part of Mombasa County along the Kenyan coast. The village covers an area of 444 acres with a population of approx. 50,000 people. About 60% of the population is Mijikenda while 40% other tribes of Kenya.

Economic activities and occupation: The people are small scale farmers doing fish farming and agro forestry for their livelihood while a small number is employed in the tourist sector and others doing small scale business.

Religion: Majority are Christians rated at 70% while 20% are Muslims, 10% being traditional believers based on shrine worshiping.

Education: 80% primary level, 15% secondary level and 5 % tertiary education

Infrastructure: The roads are seasonal

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Activities undertaken by the group

Mangrove Forest Rehabilitation:

Figure 3: Regeneration of Mangrove Forest Figure 1: Bare Tidal Flat Figure 2: Destructed Mangrove Forest 1

Causes of Destruction and degradation:

- Local women apprehended for cutting mangroves for firewood Firewood Charcoal Logging - Illegal mangrove logger arrested - Charcoal burners arrested

Other causes

- Siltation due to soil erosion and poor farming activities upstream. - Rapid population growth is causing undue pressure to the limited coastal and marine resources

What can we do differently for sustainable co-existence with Mother Nature and human well-being?

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Preparation of Mangrove Farms:

The activity is labour intensive which involves scooping of sand/top soil from a bare tidal flat to the depth of 1 ft. to black loam soil which is conducive to mangrove growth. The top soil is as a result of soil erosion upstream thus causing siltation down stream

Figure 4: Scooping of top soil by women and men using all necessary gears

Different stages of mangrove farms

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Different stages of mangrove forest rehabilitation to current status (last photo) as of September 2017

Planted Mangrove forms: Total size in acres planted to date: 15 Ha and 150,000 mangrove seedlings planted.

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Mangrove Nursery Preparation and Management

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Available Mangrove Species at the site and their properties

Specie: Sonneratia alba Family Name: Sonneratiaceae Kiswahili Name: Mlilana Zonation: Moving from Extreme low water spring (ELWS) Sonnerratia alba is the most outermost species and is pollinated by bats; Buds open at night, conspicuous fruits do well in rough ocean water, long cable lateral roots that erupt far away from mother plant, roots strong and can hurt very white flowers /petals, first in line seawards.

Specie: Ceriops tagal Family name: Rhizophoraceae Kiswahili name: Mkandaa Zonation: in the intermediate shore levels Properties: Hypocotyle up to 20cm, similar to Rhizophora but buttress roots just around base of stem, leaves rounded at tip i. e no pin.

Specie: Rhizophora mucronata: Family name: Rhizophoraceae: Kiswahili name: Mkoko Zonation: moving from Extreme Low water spring (ELWS) is the outermost species Importance: building material (boriti), boat building Properties: Hypocotyl (Mlinga) up to 70 cm, long buttress roots, leaves with pin at tip.

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Specie: Heritiera littoralis Family name: Sterculiacease Kiswahili name: Mkokoshi; Msikundazi Importance: good hardwood, trunk used in hotel building; paper making n India/Asia. Properties: In dry land, rare-found in kipini, thick, rough, keeled fruit/seed, twisted- curved (snake-like) leaves-sinuous, found in deltas e. g Ramisi, Sabaki, Mwazaro

Specie: Avicennia marina Family name: Avicenniacease Kiswahili name: Mchu/mtu Importance: Honey raw material Zonation: found at the highest shore level. Properties: Pale green/white, cable/antennae roots /others lateral, leaves are elongate, do well in less salty water. E. g creeks, estuaries and at the back of other mangroves extrudes salt from leaves.

Specie: Xylocarpus granatum Family name: Meliacease Kiswahili name: Mkomafi Zonation: found scattered amongst Ceriops Tagal which are found in the intermediate shore levels Characteristics: Hard seed up to 25 cms long leaves compound, smooth stem, buttress roots, common in creeks/estuaries e. g Dodori, Mtwapa, Ramisi.

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Specie: Lumnitzera racemosa Family name: Combretaceae Kiswahili name: Mkandaa-mwitu, Kikandaa Characteristics: Grows last in line next to terrestrial forests, roots not seen, shrubby, short, used as firewood, small leaves

Specie: Bruguiera gymnorrhiza Family Name: Rhizophoraceae Kiswahili name: Muia Zonation: Found among the major zones of Rhizophora Mucronata and Ceriops Tagal Characteristics: Knee roots, reddish sepals, cigarette shaped hypocotyl.

Specie: Xylocarpus Moluccensis Family name : Meliaceae Kiswahili name: Mkaa Pwani Characteristics: Newly described in Kenya, compounded leaves, broadly ovate, green fruit smaller than X.granatum, found in sandy areas at Kiunga, Diani, Gazi, Kiwaiyu Island(Mike’s Dock),rarer than Xylocarpus granatum, No pneumatophores – some people argue it is not a mangrove.

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Mangrove Seeds:

Rhizophora mucronata Ceriops tagal Bruguiera gymnorrhiza Heritiera littoralis

Learning & Sharing: Mangrove Information Centre

Mangrove Information Centre

- Conference facility - Library - Restaurant

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COMENSUM MEMBERS & STAKEHOLDERS

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Alternative Livelihoods

Oyster farming Crab farming

Fish farming

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Beekeeping

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