At a Glance
Millicent Barty, the visionary founder of Kastom Keepers, blends indigenous wisdom with modern innovation to champion climate resilience in the Solomon Islands. As a versatile designer, social entrepreneur, oral historian, and tech enthusiast, Millicent employs design thinking to bridge generations and safeguard traditional knowledge and practices across Melanesia.
Recognized as an Emerson Collective Fellow, Obama Scholar, and Queen’s Young Leaders award-winner, she spearheads cultural preservation to combat climate challenges. Having experienced displacement due to ethnic disputes, Millicent returned to her roots, and uses digital platforms to ensure the legacy of cultural identity, amid climate crises, does not disappear. Kastom Keepers empowers communities facing rising seas, providing a vital link to indigneous wisdom, securing a resilient future for generations to come.
Catalyzing Government Recognition and Securing Long-Term Coastal Protection
With support from Earth Company, Kastom Keepers facilitated a series of structured community workshops and dialogue sessions that brought together chiefs, elders, women, youth leaders, and provincial officials — creating a rare space where local knowledge and government planning could meet as equals. These engagements helped articulate the community’s lived experiences, map out practical solutions, and demonstrate Lilisiana’s own efforts to protect its shoreline using sandbags, coconut trunks, and traditional practices.
This sustained collaboration led to a breakthrough. The Malaita Provincial Government formally adopted Lilisiana’s coastal protection plan into its Provincial Capacity Development Fund (PCDF) — a landmark commitment valued at SBD 1.2 million. For the first time, the community’s climate adaptation needs were recognized at the provincial level, and plans are now underway for the construction of a semi-permanent sea wall beginning in early 2026.
Strengthening Community Leadership and Climate Governance
Beyond policy wins, the initiative strengthened Lilisiana from within. The program revived the role of the Fae’fae as a cultural and governance hub, hosting reflection sessions, consultations, and planning meetings that deepened trust and collective decision-making. Women and youth — often excluded from climate negotiations — were actively included in discussions, ensuring more inclusive and representative leadership.
Most significantly, the project led to the creation of Lilisiana’s first-ever Climate Change Sub-Committee, a new governance body dedicated to coordinating climate resilience efforts at the village level. Guided by Kastom Keepers, the committee is pioneering the integration of kastom knowledge with modern adaptation strategies, ensuring that local wisdom remains central to future climate solutions.
The initiative sparked confidence among community members, strengthened advocacy skills, and built the foundations for long-term, locally driven climate governance.
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