Interview by Karen Allen, co-founder of Likhulu Foundation in Mozambique.
"I bring 10 years of MPA management experience to this new organisation. We are a Maputo-based nonprofit and we're dedicated to delivering marine conservation impact and also developing capacity in MPA staff and leaders across Mozambique.
I guess my motivation for becoming a mentor is really centred on addressing a major need in Mozambique, where MPA management capacity is severely limited, especially given the country's commitment to expanding protection from 2% of Mozambique's EEZ to 12%. And I'd also like to see聽Mozambique's MPA staff having access to resources that could help develop their skills and competencies and leadership capabilities.
In terms of what's at stake in the WIO and how I think mentorship can help, I know the WIO to be biologically rich, but marine resource use in this area is largely unregulated and there's a very real risk of environmental bankruptcy and the loss of resilience of both coastal communities and coastal ecosystems. Less capacity is built among MPA and also other LMMA leaders across the WIO. As a mentor, I would like to, as much as possible, enrich, excite and motivate other MPA professionals and share the thought processes and also approaches that have helped me grow in my profession."