Bees for Development Journal 124 September 2017
Lesson: Tending hives directly is not the only way to be involved with beekeeping and entrepreneurship. Perhaps self-selected rural-urban partnerships can be supported and developed.
Conclusion Much has been learned from this pilot project, and a way forward seems clear: We will focus on rural-urban partnerships. The rural partners will be supported to develop production and the urban members will be supported with entrepreneurship training. Emphasis will be on the quality of the honey, and the affordability and sustainability of the process from flower to market. References 1 HERTZ,O. (2012). Zanzibar beekeeping project. Bees for Development Journal 104, 8–9. LOWORE,J. (2014). An interview with Gladness Mkamba. Bees for Development Journal 110, 5–6. 2
Some of the young men take a break during a classroom session
OUTWATER,A.H.; MGAYA,E.; MSEMO,S.; HELGESSON,L; ABRAHAM,A.G. (2015). Youth unemployment, community violence, creating opportunities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A qualitative study. Tanzania Journal of Health Research, 17(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/thrb.v17i1.6 3
Seven hives were sited in November 2015. By July 2016, they were still empty. In two hives, there were signs that bees had entered and then left. The zonal beekeeper confirmed that this was unusual. It was thought that perhaps the hives had been made with green wood, or wood that had been treated with insecticide. Also, the forest where the hives were placed was more like scrubland, and was being replanted with eucalyptus and pine (which are not endemic to Africa), so possibly the forage was not what the local bees need.
AIKO,R.; KINYONDO,A. (2013). Experience of crime, crime reporting, and readiness to seek police assistance: Tanzania and other African countries in comparative perspective. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA). 4
HERMANN,H. (2015). Telling the bees. Bees for Development Journal 117, 6–9. 5
Lesson: Bees must be tempted to co-operate with proper housing and forage.
YAMANIS,T.J.; MAMAN,S.; MBWAMBO,J.K.; EARP,J.A.; KAJULA,L.J. (2010). Social venues that protect against and promote HIV risk for young men in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Social Science and Medicine, 71(9), 1601–1609. doi: 10.1016/j. socscimed.2010.07.039 6
Group 2, (entrepreneurship group) decided to build a business around importing honey from their home area of Singida.
News
When I am training I translate the material I received in the Bees for Development Resource Box. I am still reading issues of BfDJ Journal and have learnt from other beekeepers’ stories. For example, I am preparing labels for my brand and have learnt about good labelling practices. Also, I had an infestation of small hive beetle (SHB) and was glad to read about its life cycle and tips on how to deal with SHB, and now it is no longer a problem for me.
MALAWI My company (WakiBees) builds the hives that I keep in my forest. I give some to the community of Mzimba District and train them in how to manage and harvest. In the picture, some community members are setting up bait hives during the middle of the swarming season. Photo © Wakisa Davis Ngosi
Can anyone help through Bees for Development? Is there any competition for us to win and get some funding? We have a large forest that is at a risk of deforestation and if I had enough resources I would make plenty of hives to give to these communities as an alternative to charcoal making which threatens the existence of the only remaining natural forest here in the northern part of Malawi. Wakisa Davis Ngosi, Lilongwe
NIGERIA Kano State is in northern Nigeria where agriculture is the main occupation with cereals and groundnuts grown as food and cash crops. Audu Bako College of Agriculture was established in 1978 and since that date has provided training for local beekeepers. 14
