Kevin Correia’s story is an inspiring example of professional growth and dedication to the cause of conservation. A beneficiary of the 5th edition of the Pre-Professional Internship Programme under the Mozambique Conservation Leadership Programme (PLCM), an initiative initially funded by the World Bank through the MozBio 2 project, and currently supported by the Government of Sweden and implemented by the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND) through the PLCM, Kevin began his journey by actively contributing to the design of the Coastal Livelihoods and Climate Resilience (CLCR) Project, funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), one of the largest conservation projects.

His performance and commitment to nature conservation opened new opportunities, leading him to join BIOFUND as a Junior Project Officer.

Currently, Kevin is one of the representants of Mozambique and of BIOFUND at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, where he participated as a speaker in the session “Blue Nature – From Conservation to Sustainable Financing for Improved Livelihoods”, organized at the IUCN Africa Pavilion.

He shared the panel with renowned international experts, including Dr. Arthur Tuda, Executive Secretary of WIOMSA (Zanzibar); Sadok Debbabi, from Notre Grand Bleu (Tunisia); Dr. Nirmal Shah, Chief Executive Officer of Nature Seychelles; Abdelmenam Mohamed, Coordinator of the CMS Dugong MoU Secretariat; Loulsa Chinyavu, Regional Programme Manager of Wetlands International for Eastern Africa; and Jacqueline Mbawine, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager at A Rocha Ghana.

In his presentation, Kevin emphasized that the main challenge in financing marine and coastal ecosystems is not only the scarcity of resources, but also the current structure of fund allocation. He highlighted the importance of long-term financing mechanisms, such as BIOFUND’s Endowment Fund, which ensures sustainability beyond short project cycles.

He also presented innovative financing mechanisms, such as blended finance, blue bonds, and biodiversity credits, which enable the mobilization of private and international capital for local initiatives, generating a direct impact on both ecosystems and the coastal communities that depend on them.

His participation alongside international experts reinforces the impact of the PLCM in training young Mozambican professionals and demonstrates how investment in capacity building and opportunities can transform emerging talents into active agents of conservation, both nationally and internationally.