What Does True Community-Led Ocean Action Look Like? Lessons from UNOC 2025

At UNOC 2025, I had the privilege of representing the Sole Mate Foundation — the impact arm of Ocean Sole — in a powerful fishbowl conversation on Driving Community-Led Ocean Action through Innovative Ocean Literacy.

Ernst van der Poll of ConnectOcean shares insights at our UNOC 2025 panel on community-led ocean action — highlighting how scalable conservation models, like Uber’s shared-distribution strategy, can empower local leaders by dividing tasks and multiplying impact.

It was an inspiring, cross-continental exchange among artists, educators, scientists, and community leaders. And through every story shared, one message stood strong:

Listen first.

Before we launch programs, draft policies, or gather data, we must begin by sitting down with those who live alongside the ocean — listening to their experiences, honoring their knowledge, and building solutions together.

💬 “Build trust first. The projects will follow.”

That sentiment, voiced during our session, struck a deep chord. At Sole Mate Foundation, it’s the philosophy guiding our work in Kenya — from co-designing conservation initiatives with artisanal fishers to supporting women-led marine stewardship through our Ocean Sole Cares programs.

Insights from the UNOC Session:

It was an honor to join an inspiring lineup of speakers, each sharing place-based strategies and innovations:

• Mirta Lorenzini of 71blue Foundation skillfully moderated the session with space for reflection and deep listening.

• Jennifer Spacagna from Manta Trust highlighted the power of the Ocean Ambassadors Programme, where youth become ocean advocates through creativity, science, and agency.

• Anne-Marie Melster of ARTPORT_making waves shared how art, science, and education are uniting communities for global ocean literacy.

• Ernst van der Poll from ConnectOcean explained how adaptive e-learning and citizen science are transforming dive centres into community conservation hubs through their "Discover, Connect, Protect" model.

• Ciara Taylor of the Marine Conservation Society spoke about the HYYM project in Wales, and how ocean connection supports mental and physical wellbeing.

• Martina Burtscher from SeaSisters Sri Lanka showed what happens when we remove barriers and center women’s voices in ocean access and protection.

  
  

And I had the joy of sharing our work at Sole Mate Foundation — how we collaborate with Kenyan fishers and coastal communities to turn marine pollution into purpose, through locally driven solutions grounded in culture, dignity, and data.

Shared Wisdom That Resonated:

• Empower local leadership, especially women and youth

• Value traditional and Indigenous knowledge

• Link conservation efforts to real livelihoods

• Replicate and share proven models across regions

• Redefine success through long-term community agency, not just statistics

  
  

From Flip-Flops to Community Impact

At Sole Mate Foundation, we help transform discarded flip-flops into more than vibrant sculptures. Each piece helps:

• Clean coastlines

• Fund conservation education

• Support dignified employment for Kenyan artisans and collectors

It’s about more than waste. It’s about worth — creating change that starts within communities and radiates outward.

Let’s Keep Building This Wave

The Decade of Ocean Science isn’t just about data and discovery — it’s about people. When we make space for local voices, lived experience, and creative co-leadership, conservation becomes more than a strategy. It becomes a movement.

TAKE ACTION

📩 Want to partner, support, or learn more about our work in Kenya? Contact us at impact@oceansole.com.

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