The commitment of OCEAN in supporting our Grantees goes far beyond funding. Over the past year, we have been building a community of learning where Grantees can come together to reflect on what’s worked (and what hasn’t).
In September, the OCEAN Communications and Engagement Team hosted an online session for Grantees to exchange stories, ideas and insights related to the communication aspects of their projects, including community engagement and the role of social media.
The event was thought-provoking, inspiring and informative, with over 100 participants representing our Grantees. It was simultaneously translated from English into three languages: French, Indonesian and Portuguese.
Five of our Grantees – BEDS Bangladesh, Reef Check Malaysia, Berikan Protein Initiative, Uttaran & Partners, and Kopernik – each presented for 10 minutes, sharing meaningful insights into their communications and engagement strategies, including successes, challenges, and lessons learned:
Maksud Rhamen, representing BEDS, shared unique insights around cultural engagement:
“When it comes to community engagement we find that the highest participation occurs when traditions, faith, and livelihoods are respected.”
“Effective communication connects ecological knowledge with cultural values.”
“Mangrove restoration and afforestation are more than just planting trees. Effective restoration and conservation requires a comprehensive understanding of technical, social, and cultural dimensions.”
View their presentation here.
Adzmin Fatta from Reef Check Malaysia highlighted the impact of empowering women and local leaders:
“Locals are dedicated to raising awareness about their island and its challenges, despite limitations. By empowering them, we help them take ownership of their narratives and share their stories to gain support.”
“The women’s empowerment initiative at Larapan Marine Conservation Group is helpful, as we have women leaders who are outspoken and capable of inspiring others to express their thoughts and desires.”
View their presentation here.
Khodijah A Zahir, representing Berikan Protein Initiative, identified key areas for opportunity:
“Involve youth from fisher families with digital skills, so they can indirectly contribute to improving their families’ welfare.”
“More visuals and hands-on practice in future training sessions to enhance participant engagement and deepen understanding of the material.”
View their presentation here.
Fahrian Yovantra shared how a collaborative approach used by Kopernik during training sessions with community members delivered strong results:
“Early co-creation and clear visual tools built community ownership and understanding, while iterative feedback led to practical and relevant improvements.”
“Hands-on, flexible training that fosters community ownership leads to better learning outcomes and continuation.”
View their presentation here.
Attika Ajra Ayon from Uttaran highlighted the need for accessibility and inclusivity when engaging with communities:
“Accessibility and intersectionality are key for community engagement e.g. facilitation in local dialect, purposive spaces.”
“Synthesising complex, technical terminologies for diverse stakeholders to ensure clear communication and comprehension for effective engagement.”
View their presentation here.
The group discussion that followed unveiled some wonderful success stories. Sharing Uttaran’s experience of social media engagement, Attika Ajra Ayon remarked:
“Through our social media outreach, we have successfully raised awareness on critical issues such as IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing, bycatches, waste management at landing stations, and child labour in the marine sector. These posts are not only informative, they are action-driven. A key success story highlights this impact: after seeing our content, a youth-led organisation independently initiated an ocean clean-up day in their community. This kind of unsolicited, community-led action demonstrates how strategic communication can inspire ownership, especially among young leaders. Moving forward, such outcomes help guide our content strategy, focusing on awareness that leads to engagement, and engagement that leads to action.”
Grantees’ top tips for communications and engagement
Grantees also offered their own reflections and suggestions during the session. These include:
– Prioritising community engagement from the start
– Using pictorial communications for wider language inclusivity
– Communicating with communities in their local languages
– Aligning activities with other events such as observation days (e.g., UN Water Day) and legislative milestones
– Incorporating faith and local wisdom into community engagement
– Engaging skilled community mobilizers with established access and acceptance in the community
– Collaborating with communities to develop engagement protocols
– Involving youth with technological skills to enhance community engagement and digital literacy
– Introducing fun and entertaining hands-on activities, such as games, to enhance participation and learning
OCEAN team top tips for communications and engagement
The OCEAN Communications and Engagement team also highlighted best practices with participants, which include:
– Have a clear vision of the goals and objectives you want to achieve
– Understand your audience and consider the best way to share your message with them (e.g. local language, image-led, evidence-based information etc)
– Choose your channels appropriately (e.g. Facebook, WhatsApp, leaflets, meetings)
– Define the messages that you wish to share with them
– Maximise storytelling on social media, share who, what, when, why and how with clear details for increased engagement
– Monitor your progress, review your results, test and adapt your approach based on results
Through a mix of learning, mentoring, and networking, the OCEAN Grantee community is strengthening capacity, fostering collaboration, and creating space for collective growth. We look forward to sharing news of their progress as they continue their journeys with us.
