News from the IOI Ocean Academy Network

IOI Ocean Academy (India) Director Vinitaa Apte visits IOI HQ

MALTA, 16 January

From left to right: Antonella Vassallo, Vinitaa Apte, Cosmin Chivu

Antonella Vassallo, Managing Director IOI HQ and Cosmin Chivu, Project Officer, warmly welcomed Vinitaa Apte, IOI Ocean Academy Director, and Founder Director of TERRE, Policy Centre, to the International Ocean Institute Headquarters.

The cordial visit reaffirmed the warm professional and friendly relations and provided an opportunity for interactive and collegial exchange. Key discussions focussed on enhanced cooperation with the aim of strengthening ocean literacy outreach among regional audiences in India, the opportunities to deliver more ocean literacy modules extended to diverse communities and potential other joint events aimed at supporting ocean literacy outreach and practitioners in the Asian region.

Swahili‑language IOI Ocean Academy Kenya Online Ocean Literacy Course on Gender and Social Inclusion in Ocean Conservation and Coastal Resource Management

Successfully empowering communities to understand ocean challenges, and to engage, decide, and act more effectively and fairly - 9 February – 20 February 2026, Online (Kenya) | Language: Kiswahili

Takeaway for IOI Ocean Academy journeys globally

This Kenya delivery reinforces a key IOI Ocean Academy insight. Dedicated ocean literacy outreach across diverse topics, delivered in the stakeholder language, reduces barriers to ocean knowledge at all levels. Swahili delivery strengthened participation, deepened the relevance of learning, and supported the core goal of ocean literacy, enabling people not only to understand ocean challenges, but to engage, decide, and act more effectively and more fairly.

Sheila Rioba, Director IOI Ocean Academy Kenya

The IOI Ocean Academy Kenya successfully delivered its first module of 2026 through an Ocean Literacy outreach course on Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) in Ocean Conservation and Coastal Resource Management. Delivered in Kiswahili, the course engaged 44 active participants through to completion, selected from 150 applicants. It also drew interest beyond Kenya, with applications from Kiswahili speakers in Tanzania and Zanzibar.

This demonstrated a core IOI Ocean Academy principle that ocean knowledge has the greatest impact when it is accessible, locally relevant, and communicated in the language of the stakeholder community. In doing so, the course reduced barriers to understanding and enabled confident participation in discussions on equity, voice, and decision‑making in coastal and marine governance.

The programme brought together a broad mix of stakeholders from both community and institutional settings, including Community organizations, Beach Management Unit representatives, youth leaders, government and extension actors, academia and research institutions, environmental NGOs and civil society organizations, educators, and trainers. This diversity reflected a commitment to ensure Ocean Literacy reaches beyond specialist circles.

The opening session welcomed participants into a learning space that positioned ocean literacy as more than ocean science alone. It linked ocean understanding to ocean governance and the human systems that shape whether conservation succeeds, who benefits, who carries risks, and who is included in decisions on resources, livelihoods, and the Blue Economy. Kiswahili delivery enabled richer dialogue on these themes, supporting participation that was both confident and grounded in local context.

As one participant reflected publicly:

“There’s something powerful about discussing ocean governance and gender inclusion in Swahili. That’s exactly what I’m doing at the International Ocean Institute Ocean Academy Kenya. One week in, and I’m appreciating how accessible and contextual this learning feels.”

Grace Kimaru, course participant (LinkedIn reflection)

This IOI Ocean Academy Kenya module featured timely and practical aspects to enhance the learning experience:

Kiswahili delivery to reduce language barriers and widen participation in ocean knowledge
A focused Ocean Literacy theme on Gender and Social Inclusion, linking conservation outcomes to equity and governance
Interactive sessions and sustained discussion that supported peer exchange and ensured learning was applied, not abstract
Kenya and regional examples to anchor concepts in real practice, with a forward‑looking emphasis on actionable next steps.

Participant discussion centred on decision power, benefit and risk sharing, operationalizing gender inclusion in day-to-day conservation, and measuring equity and meaningful participation.

The programme combined expert input with participatory learning, encouraging reflection, dialogue, and practical application, so participants could translate concepts into practical actions within their communities, institutions, and coastal resource management spaces.

As one participant summarized this shift in understanding clearly:

“Attending this programme was an enriching and transformative experience. It expanded my understanding of how gender dynamics, social equity and cultural contexts shape access to marine resources and participation in decision making.”

Judith Makonde (participant feedback)