The Kaya Forests in Kenya are sacred and important cultural heritage sites for the indigenous Mijikenda communities. This project aims to co-create solutions with the Mijikenda community to conserve the Kaya ecosystem in Rabai village through the promotion of their cultural heritage and by offering support to community initiatives. The Mijikenda reverence for the spiritual shrines in the forests has so far contributed significantly to the conservation of the ecosystem. But modern challenges mean that the younger generations know less than their predecessors about their cultural heritage and conservation efforts have been affected. These developments are compounded by the effects of climate change, resulting in forests destruction and biodiversity loss.

Realized by TICAH, this project will co-create solutions with the local communities to increase knowledge of Mijikenda cultural practices and increase community agency to implement conservation activities.

This project will deepen the existing relationship that TICAH has with the Kaya community and the Rabai Cultural Village, a local community-based organization. In previous engagements, the Rabai community proposed a variety of economic interventions linked to conservation and cultural heritage, such as bee-keeping and eco-tourism, and this project will facilitate further discussion and support community members to prioritize, plan and execute relevant actions.