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At 21, Hajara Said didn’t always see the ocean the way she does today.
Growing up in Mkunguni, the ocean was simple in her eyes;
“just a vast body of water where we get fish.”
She didn’t know about the life beneath the surface, nor did she think about how human activity could affect fish populations.
And when it came to fish species, she only knew one: Tafi (Rabbit fish).
Today, that has changed.
Now a data collector with the Mkunguni Beach Management Unit (BMU), Hajara can identify over 20 fish species in local names, Swahili, English, and even scientific terms.
But more than that, she now understands the ocean differently.
Through our fish identification trainings, she learned how to observe, record, and truly understand what fishers bring in. She now notices the small details — body shape, color, and fin structure — that help her tell one species from another.
And the data she collects is no longer just numbers on a page.
It is helping her and her community see what is changing in their fisheries.
She speaks to her peers about why conservation matters, and how everyday choices like the fishing gear they use, throwing plastics into the ocean, or protecting mangroves shape the future of their fisheries.
“I can now speak confidently in front of people, which I couldn’t before becoming a data collector,”
Fishers who were once hesitant now openly share their catch data with her data that is beginning to help the community understand trends, question what is happening, and think differently about their practices.
With the support of BMU leadership, this growing trust in data is starting to influence action.
From improving the use of legal fishing gear to helping communities recognize changes in fish availability, the information they collect is slowly shaping how decisions are made at the local level.
Hajara is part of a growing network of community data collectors across Kwale and Kilifi turning everyday fishing into insights that can guide local fisheries management.
For her, this work is also personal.
The income she earns, though modest, helps support her household showing that protecting the ocean and earning a living can go hand in hand.
But perhaps the biggest shift is this:
Hajara no longer sees the ocean as just a place to fish.
She understands it.
She contributes to it.
And she is helping protect it.
Hajara’s journey is not unique.
Across coastal communities, more women are stepping into data collection roles and shaping fisheries decisions building confidence, strengthening community trust, and turning data into action.
👉 You can read another story of this transformation here: From Fear to Fish IDs
Across coastal Kenya, more young people like Hajara are stepping into this role turning data into decisions, and decisions into more sustainable fisheries.
The question is: how many more could we support to do the same?
