An ocean activist group has secured an international nomination for their selfless work and stand a chance to win this year’s Earthshot Prize.
The non-profit organisation (NPO) I AM WATER (IAW) is based in Muizenberg but conducts most of its ocean-based education in Fish Hoek, Ocean View, Hout Bay and Strand.
The NPO is also celebrating 15 years of ocean connection workshops.
“This nomination reflects over a decade of dedicated work reconnecting underserved youth with the ocean resulting in the Ocean for all Alliance Global initiative. We believe that to protect our oceans, we must first connect people to them – especially the next generation,” said IAW founder, Hanli Prinsloo.
The Earthshot Prize was launched by Prince William in 2020 to search for and scale the most innovative solutions to the world’s greatest environmental challenges. Five winners—one in each Earthshot category—will each receive £1 million, alongside a year of tailored support, global visibility, and access to the Earthshot network. The prizegiving will take place in November this year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Ocean For All Alliance is a global network dedicated to increasing ocean access for underserved youth.
“It empowers grassroots organisations to deliver safe, engaging ocean education experiences in their local communities.
“Since 2019 alone, I AM WATER has reached more than 48 900 beneficiaries through immersive, ocean-based education,” said IAW spokesperson, Victoria Smith.
People’s Post spoke with Prinsloo who walked us through their humble beginnings.
“I grew up on a horse farm outside Pretoria, where my early years were shaped by a deep connection to nature and water. After studying documentary filmmaking in Sweden, I discovered freediving, and it changed the course of my life. It was the profound and transformative encounters with marine wildlife that sparked something even deeper in me,” she recalled.
In 2010, she launched IAW with the vision of making the ocean accessible to all.
“I was especially focused on the children from disadvantaged coastal communities who live close to the sea but have never had the chance to experience it. I’ve always believed that true conservation begins with connection. That’s why our work is grounded in ocean education, and immersive experiences that create a sense of belonging and care in the next generation,” she explained.
One of the goals of the NPO is to empower the youth to become advocates for ocean protection. IAW works with non-fee-paying schools across all eight districts of the Western Cape.
Their main programme, the Ocean Guardians Workshops, is a two-day experience that combines mindfulness, ocean education and snorkelling to help learners connect with the sea and build confidence in the water.
For inland schools, they offer River Guardians Workshops, which explore local freshwater ecosystems and the importance of water conservation.
Among the greatest challenges they face is funding.
“We need to secure consistent funding to sustain and expand programmes. As a mission-driven non-profit working at the intersection of youth development, education, and conservation, long-term support is essential—but not always guaranteed.
“Another significant challenge lies in navigating administrative processes, such as obtaining permission from the Western CapeEducation Department (WCED) to take learners out of school for the two-day Ocean Guardians Workshops,” she says.
Prinsloo is overjoyed that they have been shortlisted and says it’s an incredible honour.
“Our nomination for the Earthshot prize came through the Ocean for all Alliance (OFAA), a growing global network of grassroots organisations adapting I AM WATER’s ocean connection methodology to their local contexts,” she explained.
