JAMBIANI, Zanzibar, Mar 05 (IPS) – In the early morning, as the tide pulls away, Zulfa Abdallah ties her scarf tightly around her head. She adjusts her goggles, places a snorkel across her forehead, and wades into the chest-deep waters off Jambiani village in Zanzibar. The Indian Ocean is her livelihood now, its waves offering a lifeline to women like her who confront challenges of poverty and climate change.
Years ago, Abdallah would have been hauling heavy bundles of salt-encrusted seaweed. Seaweed farming had long been a lifeline for Zanzibar’s coastal women, but rising ocean temperatures have made the crops nearly impossible to grow. In their place, farmers have turned to sea sponges.
“It’s a miracle crop that has given me my life back,” Abdallah said one Saturday afternoon as she inspected the porous orbs hanging from polyethylene ropes of her underwater farm. “They need patience and care—just like raising a baby. And like with children, you get so much in return.”
At 34, Abdallah, a divorced mother of two, has been farming sponges for four years, learning the craft through training programs run by Marine Cultures, a Swiss nonprofit. Her farm is a network of ropes suspended between floating buoys, each dotted with porous sponges that sway gently with the currents. Every sponge must be cleaned, monitored, and protected against predators. It’s hard work, but it has changed her life.
A New Beginning
Abdallah once earned less than USD 30 a month from seaweed farming, barely enough to support her mother and her children. Now, sponge farming triples her income. She has renovated her mother’s house, bought new furniture, and saved money for purchasing her own plot of land.
“Many women here were hesitant at first because of fear or tradition. They thought I was wasting my time,” she says, recounting the early doubts of her neighbors.
Abdallah’s story is part of a larger narrative along Zanzibar’s southeastern coast. Over the past decade, Marine Cultures has trained a dozen women in Jambiani to farm sea sponges, providing them with the tools and knowledge to transition from struggling seaweed farmers to successful aquaculturists. These women are pioneers, navigating the challenges of a new industry and the societal expectations of a conservative, patriarchal community.
“For a long time, we were told that women belong at home,” says Nasir Haji, one of the trainers involved in the program. “These women have proved that they can work and earn a good income for their families.”
The sponges, sold for USD 15 to USD 30 each in tourism shops, are used in cosmetics, bathing products, and baby care. A local farmers’ cooperative ensures that farmers keep 70% of the sale price, with the rest covering operational costs.
“It feels better to earn your own income. You’re free to use it as you please,” says Abdallah.
Overcoming Challenges
The transition to sponge farming hasn’t been without hurdles. In 2018, a population explosion of brittle sea stars—tiny starfish-like creatures that burrow into sponges—devastated the farms, killing nearly half the sponges. The following year, a thick bloom of green algae threatened to suffocate the young sponges, forcing farmers to spend extra hours cleaning the ropes. Each season brings new challenges, but the farmers have learned to adapt.
“We learn new tactics every now and then to keep away pathogens and ensure our sponges are healthy,” says Abdallah.
The resilience of these women has drawn attention from across the globe. Marine Cultures has begun working with communities in mainland Tanzania, Madagascar, and the Seychelles to replicate the model. The organization’s founder, Christian Vaterlaus, believes sponge farming could transform coastal economies while protecting fragile marine ecosystems.
“Sustainable, community-based aquaculture is a win-win,” Vaterlaus said. “It provides income for people who need it most and helps preserve the environment.”
Leonard Chauka, a marine scientist at the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, agrees. “Sponge farming is a lifeline for women, providing stable incomes without depleting marine resources,” he says. “Ecologically, sponges are nature’s filters—they clean the water and create habitats for marine life.”
Chauka explained that the simple farming process requires minimal equipment and no external feed, making it affordable and sustainable.
Ripples of Change
Chauka’s comments are echoed by Vaterlaus, who sees sponge farming as a sustainable solution to economic and environmental challenges.
“These women are showing us what’s possible,” Vaterlaus says. “When you invest in communities and the environment together, everyone benefits.”
Unlike wild sponge harvesting, which has harmed ecosystems in other parts of the world, farming sponges is environmentally benign. The sponges filter water, support marine biodiversity, and may even help combat climate change by playing a role in regulating the ocean’s carbon cycle.
A Brighter Future
For women like 31-year-old Hindu Rajabu, the stakes are deeply personal. As a mother of two, Rajabu struggled to support her children on the meager income she earned growing seaweed. Sponge farming changed everything.
“I have earned good income, and I am using part of it to build my own house,” she says, as she gently clears algae from a sponge. “I’m proud of myself.”
The initiative hasn’t cleared all obstacles. Many in Jambiani still view swimming as taboo for women. Marine Cultures has made swimming lessons mandatory, a critical skill for farmers working underwater.
“I was very scared to get into the sea. But after learning how to swim, I feel confident, and I actually enjoy being out there tending my sponges,” says Abdallah.
Back onshore, the women gather at a small processing center to prepare their sponges for market. They clean, sort, and package each one, their laughter and chatter filling the salty air. Every sponge carries a label: “Sustainably Farmed in Zanzibar.”
A Lifeline
At sunset, Abdallah walks home with her gear slung over her shoulder. Her children run to meet her, their laughter mingling with the sound of the waves.
“The ocean is giving us a chance—a real chance—to build something better,” she says.
IPS UN Bureau Report
Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
Follow IPS News UN Bureau on Instagram
© Inter Press Service (2025) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service
