Foni – Women in The Gambia have long navigated hazardous waters to collect oysters from mangroves without knowing how to swim. That reality is now changing thanks to a swimming programme run by the global aquatic value chain development programme FISH4ACP, which has reached one in four harvesters nationwide — and counting.

To get to the mangroves, women paddle in small wooden canoes through rivers and creeks, often over long distances in treacherous tides. The risk of capsizing, and the fear of drowning that comes with it, causes considerable stress and can deter women from entering or staying in the sector.