Tucked away in the historic town of Malindi is the ancient fishing village of Shella, where the ocean’s restless tides carry echoes of a once-thriving past. Once a bustling port in the Indian Ocean trade network during the 9th and 15th centuries, Shella welcomed majestic dhows from Arabia, Persia, India, and later Europe.

While the rest of the coast gradually embraced modernisation, Shella was left behind. Its resilient people, underserved and with untapped potential, have long struggled to move forward.

On the edge of Shella’s shoreline, where the scent of salt and seaweed fills the morning air, Mariam Faumu sits outside her modest fish shop, expertly removing scales from a gleaming pile of red snappers. A veteran fish trader since 1990, Faumu is not just a businesswoman but a custodian of a generational heritage rooted in the Indian Ocean’s turquoise waters.