A labour of love: Long days, bee stings and a global premiere

“Amkeni” roughly translates to “Rise Up” in Kiswahili. This is the call of Chambuko Amkeni, a community-led conservation group involved in mangrove restoration and protection. In 2025, I had the honour of working with them to document their journey on women’s leadership in coastal and marine conservation, climate change adaptation and the blue economy, for a collaboration between Mission inclusion and the BBC StoryWorks' for the Living Legacy Series.

This was my first time working on a project of this magnitude not to mention one that would have a global audience. To say this has been one of the highlights of the last two years is an understatement. Just thinking about it, my heart swells with pride. I feel like a mother watching her baby grow and come of age (please don't tell my daughter this!).

With members of the Chambuko Amkeni Group

Leading the production of Amkeni with my amazing colleagues was a true labour of love. A vision come to life thanks to the support of a great team. The opportunity arose through our work on the ReSea Project.Through this partnership, we learned about the call to submit stories for the Living Legacy series. In April, we submitted a proposal. Two short months later, we were shortlisted and the thrilling, nerve-wracking journey began.

The first challenge was selecting a story to showcase. Because I support five countries, narrowing it down to one was a tricky decision, one that would inevitably disappoint some. After many consultations, we chose Kilifi along the Kenyan Coast as a showcase of women-led marine conservation and nature-based enterprises. 

Next came developing the creative brief, outlining how the story would unfold and defining key messages. Simultaneously, I coordinated logistics between our offices in Nairobi and Montreal, the team in Kilifi, and the BBC in the UK. A single paragraph can hardly capture the immense work involved in this planning phase.

Filming by the mangroves

In August, I travelled to Kilifi County to lead the film’s production. I was a nervous wreck with so many people expecting so much. Having met the protagonists only once before, my first goal was to establish trust. It was crucial that the group understood the vision and felt comfortable sharing their story. We aimed to capture leadership, voice, and agency, women overcoming systemic barriers and taking the reins in climate adaptation and sustainable livelihoods. It required thinking on our feet and adapting quickly to capture this beautiful story. Our days began before dawn and ended late at night.

By the end of the week, despite the exhaustion, sunburn, and a bee-sting adventure at the apiary, the filming was done. I was profoundly grateful it had gone well.

Getting suited up to go into the apiary

Editing passed in a whirlwind of back-and-forth between teams, ensuring the story met everyone's goals. In October, we saw the final product. I was numb. I couldn’t believe we had reached this point.

We organized viewings for our teams in Canada and Kenya, the Chambuko Amkeni group, and the High Commission of Canada. Globally, the film was shown at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. On November 20, it launched online for the world to see. My heart swelled with pride. This year (2026) it has been selected as a showcase piece at a film festival in Montreal (the 42nd Festival Vues d'Afrique), 

This is what communication means to me: giving a platform to those who would otherwise go unheard, placing their stories before the right audiences, and in doing so, opening doors to new opportunities.

Chambuko Amkeni embodies the work we’re doing at ReSea: empowering women in decision-making, including women and youth in managing marine resources, and supporting locally-led climate adaptation. This story proves that when communities are given the tools and space to lead, they can not only adapt to climate change but also forge lasting solutions to this global crisis.

A quick shoutout to Sebastian, Daniela, Nathalie, Andreanne, Genevieve, Perpetua, Coline, Messy, Francisca, Wendy, Peter, Baha, Francis, Busolo and Nathan!

Watch Amkeni here - https://youtu.be/D0eJAdPVzNs?si=xZ_piYszmGgjILLR

Learn more about the Living Legacy series here - https://www.bbc.com/storyworks/specials/living-legacy/

Thank you for stopping by.