What is a Sustainable Blue Economy? Kenyan Youth Turning the Tide
Learn how young people in Kenya are gaining the skills and confidence they need to build livelihoods through the blue economy.
For communities living along Kenya’s coastline, the ocean represents a path to prosperity. The blue economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources to drive economic growth and improve livelihoods while preserving the health of marine ecosystems.
In Kenya, this involves tapping into sectors like sustainable fishing, aquaculture, waste management, seaweed farming, and eco-tourism. From 2023-2025, TechnoServe’s BlueBiz Program, a partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, helped young entrepreneurs in Mombasa, Kilifi, Lamu, Kwale, and Tana River counties anchor their futures in these growing industries.
Building a Foundation of Skills and Inclusion
The program’s success began with a massive investment in human capital. Between 2023 and 2025, 11,463 young people—including 8,681 women, 426 persons with disabilities, and 65 refugees—engaged in training to sharpen their business acumen.
Young people received training in good business practices, including basic bookkeeping principles, access to bank financing, and networking. By the end of the six-month training cycles, over 9,800 participants had completed core modules using a mix of in-person workshops and digital learning platforms. These classrooms served as hubs where abstract ideas were refined into viable business plans.
Gloria Mwadzi is an entrepreneur and the founder of Ziria Designs, a small eco-tourism craft business based in Mombasa. She started the business a year ago as a creative outlet, producing handcrafted jewelry and accessories made from locally sourced materials, such as coconut shells. However, despite her passion and consistency, the business initially operated online, with limited market clarity and no formal systems to track performance.
That trajectory began to change after she joined the BlueBiz program. After about six months, her business sales told a different story.
“Before joining the BlueBiz program, Ziria Designs was more of a hobby than a structured business,” Gloria explained. “The training helped me refine my business plan, understand my target market, and start tracking my cash flow. For the first time, I could clearly see the path to growing my business.”
Financing Mechanisms for a Sustainable Blue Economy
Historically, access to capital has been a significant hurdle for coastal youth. The Bahari Boost Challenge Fund has been catalytic in ushering change. To date, the fund has awarded $463,781 to 243 youth-led enterprises, benefiting 2,917 participants. These investments translated into tangible assets: repaired fishing boats, expanded coconut-processing facilities, new shop outlets, and new fish ponds.
Before this intervention, only 34% of youth had access to the finance needed to scale a business. During the program, that figure rose to 49%, with specific counties seeing even higher gains, such as 58% in Lamu and 49% across Kwale, Tana River, and Kilifi.
“Winning the BlueBiz Bahari Boost Challenge grant of $850 has allowed me to purchase new equipment, increase production, and introduce new product lines for Ziria Designs,” Gloria explained.
Rather than selling only to immediate neighbors, these entrepreneurs began connecting with retailers and off-takers nationwide, improving their packaging and pricing to meet professional standards.
“Through the exhibitions organized by the program, I was able to connect with new clients and markets beyond Kenya, including Uganda and Tanzania,” Gloria shared. “These opportunities significantly expanded the reach of Ziria Designs and opened doors I had never imagined.”
Driving Economic Growth Through Marine Resources
The shift in skills and capital directly affected household stability. Before the program, the average monthly income per enterprise was approximately $83. During the intervention, the average rose in the different counties.
“Before joining the program, my business operated at a much smaller scale,” Gloria said. “Today, I have achieved an average revenue growth of over 60%, and during peak periods such as exhibitions, my earnings have increased by more than 200%. This growth has enabled me to reinvest in my business and build greater financial stability.”
Protecting Ocean Ecosystems: Risks of an Unsustainable Blue Economy
The BlueBiz program recognized that economic gains are fragile without environmental protection. In Kilifi and Mombasa, youth-led initiatives helped protect 6,978 hectares of marine ecosystems. This included the restoration of 575 hectares of mangroves.
With a 90% survival rate, more than one million trees have been successfully planted. These mangroves do more than capture carbon; they serve as critical nurseries for the fish stocks that sustain local livelihoods.
Beyond the environmental impact, the program fostered a new generation of leaders. In a sample of over 3,000 participants, the majority reported improved decision-making skills and a greater commitment to the inclusion of women and men.
“With the new equipment, I have been able to significantly improve production efficiency and product quality,” Gloria explained. “At Ziria Designs, we create handcrafted jewelry and accessories, many of which are inspired by coastal culture and incorporate locally sourced materials, aligning with the BlueBiz program’s focus on sustainable, ocean-linked enterprises. I now plan to scale production further while creating opportunities for other young artisans in my community. My goal is to grow Ziria Designs in a way that also generates employment and supports others to build sustainable livelihoods.”
Through 108 community engagement events, the program reached over 8,800 community members, ensuring that the shift toward a sustainable blue economy was supported by the broader public.
“The BlueBiz program didn’t just support my business, it invested in my future,” Gloria shared.
The Kenyan coastline has always been defined by its natural beauty. Today, through the hard work of thousands of young entrepreneurs, it is also defined by its economic resilience.
