In 2007, a group of like-minded people at the Manta Resort came together to build a tourism project. In all of us coming together to build this long-term vision, we quickly realised that it wasn’t just about Manta. We were interested in Pemba and its’ future. When we started asking why we had come to Pemba, we realised that we’re here for certain reasons; it’s still a truly tropical island, it’s remote, the culture is intact, the environment is not past the tipping point and there’s real hope, chance and opportunity to keep Pemba a genuinely natural place.
What makes us different is that we are consciously, continuously, asking the question ‘why’ – Kwanini? From these beginnings, the Kwanini Foundation was born. We are focussed primarily on Pemba, and what the island needs to continue to thrive as a natural, cultural island paradise.
In the last ten years we have completed several projects alongside the community. Some have been exceptional successes, like the establishment of our Kwanini Marine Protected Area some five years ago, others have been more of a process, like our water project on nearby Njao island. We have learned a great deal in the past ten years, from both our successes and failures, and have been joined by a team of dedicated local and international experts who have voluntarily given their time to help re-launch the Foundation in 2018 as the organisation you see today.
In the future, we envisage the Kwanini Foundation with a large support base, all sharing the knowledge necessary to develop a sustainable future for Pemba and working to conserve the island as a real, sustainable destination.
