Bees for Development Journal 121 December 2016
us do. As a result, he was able to develop extraordinary working relationships with people such as David Wainwright, Kelvin Chikasa, Aggie Chimanda and myself. These relationships were not ones of blind obedience to anyone, but of partnership between individuals with different points of view who could and did frequently clash but who could work together because of shared values and complementary skills. Bob didn’t simply love his job: he loved the people he worked with and many of us came to love him too. There was nothing sentimental or wishy-washy about this: it was strong and good like the unbreakable bond between members of a healthy family. That Bob could exemplify and nurture this quality in the workplace speaks volumes for the kind of person he was. We shall miss him dearly. David has been good enough to tell me that many such sentiments were expressed at his funeral gathering and that it has been suggested an institute of sustainable
beekeeping be established in his name. Whether this is practical or desirable isn’t for me to say but I do know what Bob thought about such issues in the years I worked with him. Over countless long drives to and from Lusaka, the Copperbelt, Solwezi and many other destinations in NW Province he and I spent hundreds of hours exploring one another’s thoughts about such issues. One reason he was so committed to his work was that he believed, as I do, that beekeeping and the beekeepers play a key role in the management and sustainability not simply of North Western Province and its vast tracts of Miombo woodlands but also in the ecosystem which depends on the Zambezi River and its major tributaries such as Kabompo River because so much of its water derives from the relatively high rainfall in the very area where the beekeepers live and work. We both thought these woodlands crucial to the way the river system works, especially during the long dry season, and that beekeepers,
NEWS
being the people who go deepest into the forest and depend on the good health and blossoming of the most common species of trees for their livelihoods, have for generations had, and still have, a uniquely valuable contribution to make in looking after and nurturing the forests. As populations increase and global warming progresses; careful farsighted management of North Western Province’s precious ecosystem is going to become increasingly important not just to Zambia but to all the countries that depend on the Zambezi river system. So, may all those who worked with Bob or work in the beekeeping sector or live in North Western Province remember him and long continue the work he did for more than three decades. I am certain he is enjoying a hero’s welcome from the ancestors and will not be forgotten. Rest in Peace Bob – you’ve earned it. Ben Robertson, London
LOOK AHEAD TURKEY
Ghana I have finally found the real name of the proposed bee bee tree. It is different from the other bee bee tree. It is a tropical plant Hannoa undulata. Please see my picture (below). It blooms here in Krachi West District of the Northern Volta of Ghana, from October until December. Krachi West is a savannah area.
APIMONDIA: 45th International Apicultural Congress 29 September – 4 October 2017, Istanbul Further details apimondia2017.org
UK
Strengthening livelihoods in developing countries through beekeeping 31 March 2017, Monmouth Sustainable beekeeping 22-23 April 2017, Forest of Dean Further details beesfordevelopment.org National Honey Show 26-28 October, Sandown Park Further details honeyshow.co.uk If you want notice of your conference, workshop or meeting to be included here and on our website, send details to Bees for Development.
BfD Beekeepers Safaris Trinidad & Tobago January 2018 Kafui Kwesi Appiah, Honey For Wealth Beekeepers Association 17
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