What does freediving have to do with Ocean Access?
With the largest Ocean Access Programme for African Scientists, Conservationists and Storytellers, NEWF labs create opportunities for freediving certifications too. Recently, a cohort of fellows added this discipline to their skillset, each calmly descending and ascending along a dropped buoy line in Sodwana Bay's inviting water to a qualifying depth of 10 metres, just one breath at a time.
What role does documenting the past play in bringing stories about the African experience to life?
It is often said that to build the future, we must look to the past. At the core of Diving with a Purpose, is just that - purpose-driven deep work (no pun intended) to contribute to a more complete history that tells the stories of their ancestors. In an long-anticipated exchange between NEWF and DWP, we had the opportunity to welcome these divers who are part of the African diaspora, home.
If we trusted our bodies, how far could we go?
From the ‘Brown Girls That SCUBA’ movement all the way through to ‘Black Mermaids’- African representation (throughout the diaspora) has been recolouring the recreational and professional dive industries. So, what happens when you’ve been diving just a little more for ten (10) years - would being called an athlete feel out-of-body? NEWF fellow Megan-Rose grapples with this very reality as we speak.
What does the Africa you dream of look like?
Recently, Dr.Aristide Takoukam Kamla and eight (8) prospective open water SCUBA divers from Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal were welcomed to eKhaya Storytelling and Research Centre in Sodwana Bay. From London where just on Wednesday he accepted a highly acclaimed Whitley Award for Nature, we spoke about everything from finding his purpose on the waters of Lake Ossa, to a small Weevil giving it the chance to breathe again - and how together it has paved the way for a career rooted deeply in Cameroon's coastal communities.
In Retrospect: #NEWF2024 Fellows Summit and Congress
#NEWF2024 is a whirlwind that starts our community's year and sets it on a busy course to bring ideas to life and keep the momentum created through networking, inspired dialogue and interactive learning at large. But this year was different. Word on the street is that it was our best yet - and from our side we are working towards even more positive growth.