Bees for Development Journal 142 March 2022
From poverty to beekeeper: Beekeeping with Batwa people Project objectives in Uganda The main objective is to help the Batwa who live in south-western Uganda, to improve living conditions through beekeeping. A further objective is to reduce local prejudice and discrimination against the Batwa and promote cooperation and integration.
Ole Hertz and Lise Hansted, Project Coordinators, Danish Beekeepers Association, Denmark In November 2020 a new two-year beekeeping Project began in Uganda, funded by the Civil Society in Development, CISU (part of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The Danish Beekeepers Association is responsible for execution of the Project in collaboration with a local NGO. The Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation (TUNADO).
History The Batwa belong to Africa’s indigenous population in central Africa’s vast rainforests, who lived as hunters and collectors. They hunted small game using nets, bows and arrows, collected wild fruits and roots, and harvested honey from wild honey bees and stingless bees. The Batwa lived in small family groups without leaders and with common ownership of everything. Most families had fixed exchange relationships with the Bantu farmers, who lived outside the forest. The most important exchange item for the Batwa was honey from honey bees and ten species of stingless bees. The honey was exchanged for agricultural products, clothes and utensils. Beehives were not used; honey was harvested by ‘stunning’ the bees with smoke from a specific grass species. The Batwa lived in the rainforest for thousands of years in an ecological balance with no ruthless exploitation of anything - partly because they never collected supplies. Now the situation is completely different.
TUNADO is the umbrella organisation for beekeepers and people who trade with beekeeping products. They help with certification and organising beekeeping courses. The Project collaborates with Bees for Development, close partner organisation with TUNADO for many years, and includes their joint Project to ensure that disabled people have access to training.
Image © Steven Muwamguzi
Image below: Local style hives are easy to make. Some students have made so many that they can sell some - their first opportunity to earn some money
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