ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2023
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. 44,000+ student leaders from 3,300+ campuses across 170+ nations applied to join the Class of 2023. 260+ campuses worldwide (just 9%) in 38 countries were selected to host 4,000+ Millennium Fellows for the Class of 2023.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT MERCY WENDY KIMAKWA, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW AND CAMPUS DIRECTOR FOR THE CLASS OF 2023.
Catholic University of Eastern Africa | Nairobi, Kenya | Advancing SDG 10 & UNAI 6
Millennium Fellowship Project: Empowering Indigenous Fisherfolk: Rights, Dignity, Sustainability.
Blue economy is defined as the sustainable use of the ocean and ocean resources for
economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs as well as the health of the ocean's
ecosystem. Key players in the blue economy sector are the fishermen. In Kenya,
particularly in the coastal grounds, many of the residents are native to that area.
These communities are the Bajuni and the Aweer in Lamu and the Digo in Kwale. They largely depend on their traditional fishing grounds as their main source of livelihoods.
In the recent past, the government and other stakeholders have been launching projects in their fishing grounds and not only blocking their access to this grounds but removing them from these areas completely, displacing them from these fishing grounds. This becomes a violation of their constitutional rights such a healthy environment, right to work as well as their traditional fishing rights and a threat to their cultural rights. This project aims to preserve and secure the rights of these small scale coastal indigenous fishermen in the context of access, use ownership and management of their traditional fishing grounds without undue interference by the Government and other outside forces.
About the Millennium Fellow
Mercy Wendy Kimakwa is a final year student of Law at The Catholic University of Eastern Africa. Wendy is very passionate about social and human rights at large and is of the strong belief that for there to be any change or progress, one needs to make a bold step. Through her project, she endeavours to combat these injustices and make the world a little more livable and sustainable for everyone.
