Understand
The island is 100km north of Pemba, 6km from the mainland and approximately 2400 hectares in size. It has palm groves, palm vegetation and pristine beaches as well as a number of small indigenous villages. The islanders main source of income is from fishing.
The island features the Matemo Island Resort, which opened late in 2004. The resort solved the problem of lack of fresh water by installing a desalination plant, which also provides fresh water to islanders.
The resort provides the only job opportunities on the island for the community, other than subsistence fishing. The community is said to be given first option for jobs and encouraged to learn new skills.
