Reflection

Reflection

THE OCEAN WARRIOR short film is inspired by my own children's book that I have written. It is also inspired by real life story and activities on matters concerning conservation and restoration of our oceans and the fight against plastic waste on our coast line. I come from Mombasa, a beautiful coastal city in south-eastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. Mombasa is famous for its white sandy beaches and the beautiful, exotic hotels and resorts that dot the Island. 80% of the residents in Mombasa solely depend on the Indian Ocean and its shorelines for their livelihoods; this includes the fishing industry, hotels and resorts, tourism, agriculture, and many other income-generating small-scale businesses. Kenya is a lower middle-income economy of about 50 million people. Inevitably, plastics are widely used in majority of the households for food packaging, storage and other trading items. It is estimated that Mombasa alone churns out about 2,200 metric tonnes of waste every day, a quarter of which is plastic. Sadly, a large percentage of this waste finds its way into The Indian Ocean, causing significant damage to our marine life, sea animals and our livelihood at large. This is why the coastal city is grappling with rising cases of respiratory infections and other challenges caused by plastic pollution. Healthy seas and oceans are essential to human existence and life on earth.