Mangrove restoration provides local employment across many activities – from seasonal planting to ongoing monitoring and other project roles. Over the long term, restored mangroves strengthen community livelihoods by improving food security, sustaining fisheries through their nursery habitats, and protecting homes, land, and infrastructure along the coast.

Our activities support the creation of stable employment and new income opportunities, offering alternatives to less sustainable livelihoods such as charcoal burning. Community-led enterprises range from handicraft production and crab farming to village ice plants that allow fishers to preserve and sell their catch at higher value. In several areas, projects have also supported seaweed farming, which has enabled families to cover household needs and invest in children’s education while contributing to long-term coastal resilience. Together, these initiatives strengthen local economies and build more sustainable futures.

Our activities include community-led infrastructure initiatives, identified and prioritized by village development committees. These range from building roads and bridges to bringing electricity to villages, constructing protective fences to reduce human–elephant conflict, renovating essential facilities such as schools, and constructing wells for safe and reliable access to water. Together, these improvements increase safety and accessibility, expand opportunities for local enterprises, strengthen education, reduce the daily burden of water collection, and support long-term community development.

Our activities include environmental awareness and education, a core element of every project. These programmes range from school initiatives and community workshops to awareness campaigns on mangrove conservation, climate resilience, and human–wildlife coexistence. They also include practical activities such as village clean-up campaigns, which address plastic waste and promote better waste management. By combining local knowledge with scientific insights, these efforts build understanding and strengthen the long-term stewardship of restored landscapes.

Our activities promote women’s leadership and economic participation as integral to community decision-making processes. Women hold nearly half of the leadership roles in Village Development Committees, ensuring their perspectives shape priorities on health, education, and social welfare. Vocational training programmes in areas such as food production and bookkeeping support women’s participation in income-generating work, which diversifies household earnings, increases financial stability, and strengthens their voice in both family and community decisions

Education is a cornerstone of community development, and our activities strengthen both access and quality in schools across our project areas. Scholarships for students and salary support for volunteer teachers keep children in school and ensure continuity where resources are limited. Schools are also equipped with essential tools — from teaching materials and books to computers, printers, and solar panels — giving students and teachers the resources they need for stronger learning outcomes. Together, these initiatives make education more stable, inclusive, and forward-looking, expanding opportunities for children and young people.

Our activities include health and hygiene campaigns that respond to priorities identified by local communities. Through awareness sessions and practical measures, these initiatives promote safe water, sanitation, and food practices, helping to reduce preventable diseases and improve everyday well-being.

Our activities have also included emergency support in times of crisis, when communities in our project areas have faced economic hardship, extreme weather conditions, or displacement. In collaboration with partner organizations such as the World Health Organization, we have contributed food, clothing, and medical assistance, using our local presence and field access to reach those most in need.