Beekeepers for Life, Empowering 1300 Uganda Women

Our beekeeping initiative trains & supports women to become skilled beekeepers, community leaders, trainers & entrepreneurs, through our sustainable beekeeping training model with expert field practitioners. Alleviating poverty by creating Beekeepers For Life in rural communities across Uganda.

This project is managed by designated, unpaid, project managers and run within a group structure. Project Managers design them to become self-funding small businesses after a defined period of time.
The project groups are bound by the legal, charitable requirement to reach the poorest sectors of society ensuring that projects can be sustainable. A group cannot depend on continued funds from outside the area or on one person’s hard work. SCOEN the promotes and supports projects that use affordable, appropriate techniques and equipment.

Training objective
To equip trainees/Beekeepers of Bees for life family project with knowledge in apiary management for improved honey production for enhanced household incomes
Training content/topics

• Beekeeping equipment and tools,
• Apiary and Apiary siting,
• Apiary and colony inspection and management,
• Honeybee behaviour
• Honeybee pests, predators and diseases and control measures,
• Honeybee colony management and
• Bee forage/botany

Training methodology and Approach

• Sharing experiences,
• Brainstorming,
• Individual exercise and group work, and
• Open discussion

Training Achievements

• Turn-up for the training was very good coupled with good time management. About 90% of the group members attended the training right from the start to the last day. The members were also very active and participatory in the different sessions
• The training was tailored towards offering solutions to the general challenges Beekeepers are facing in their apiaries. The topics handled were a spot on
• Beekeepers appreciated the knowledge they acquired in the training and promised to put it into practice for the improvement of their apiaries and increased honey production
• Some members had lost interest in the project but because of the training, they were encouraged and energized to carry on with the project
• We were able to visit some apiaries of some members in the project
• Participants were awarded certificates of completion at the close of the training
• The training was graced by the Senior Community Development Officer – Bukedea district who promised to support the group in terms of capacity building and material/equipment from the district
• Training challenges
•  Some member didn’t turn-up for the training. They had to attend some other meeting/training organized by the Town-council
• The group still has high expectations for support with beekeeping equipment
• Some members had abandoned their apiaries

Recommendations

• There is need for support supervision to help keep the members active in the group and working on their apiaries
• Support the group with some bee equipment especially the protective gears
• Members be encouraged to set timetables for the periodic visit and inspection of their apiaries and colonies
• Organize more trainings for the group

The training was conducted in discussion approach with the aim to assess the current skills the group has. It was to my observation that the group require basic knowledge right from introduction.

This report summarizes beekeeping trainings conducted in Bukedea and Soroti districts. The training was for 3 days for 8 grpups and intended to equip women and unemployed youth, concepts and skills on beekeeping development. The training was attended 245 beneficiaries It is expected that the trainees will take full advantage of beekeeping and able to produce honey and other products as source of income. 

Specific objective of the training.

Specific objective of the training is to familiarize the beekeeping project, to draw a project plan and provide adequate knowledge on theanimation/importance of beekeeping beyond their expectations to target beneficiaries involved at grass root level. 

Methods and approach

This introductory meeting method employed include introductory power point presentations, discussions, experience sharing with model beekeepers and new beekeepers, and video shows. The participants were encouraged to discuss relevant issues under each topic and raise queries which were then discussed in detail by the trainers.

Main topics covered in the training were

• Overview of the project and the intended project
• Importance of beekeeping, from food production, improves biodiversity through pollination, honey and other hive products, until job creation along the honey and beeswax value chain.
• Comparison of three different beekeeping production systems.
• Experience on top bar hive as its promoted by SCOEN honey bee equipment in generals.
• Highlighting Seasonal colony management and honey bees’ behavior Honey bees,
• Beekeeping equipment,
• Bee botany,
• Honey bee behavior,
• Honey colony management,
• Honey bee nutrition,
• Cost benefit analysis of beekeeping

Logistics of the trainingMaterials used for the meeting includes Note book and pen Flip charts, masking tap, marker pen Videos, manual Village level action plan At the end of the meeting the participants were assigned in groups and prepared to make local bee suits and action plan at village level that will be implemented for the coming 12 months.

Introduction

Our beekeeping initiative trains & supports women to become skilled beekeepers, community leaders, trainers & entrepreneurs, through our sustainable beekeeping training model with expert field practitioners. Alleviating poverty by creating Beekeepers For Life in rural communities across Uganda.

Honey and Bees are known to the mankind since times immemorial. Honey is a nutritious fluid collected by Honey Bees which is good for human health. Honey is used by mankind since very ancient period as food , medicine etc. Bee-Keeping industry also plays important role in increase in yield of crop through pollination. This industry plays important role to create employment opportunities among the rural mass.

Currently we have handled training covering the following topics:

• Enabling participants to properly manage their own apiary sites
• Equipping participants with knowledge and skill in using beehive tools
• Enabling participants build or construct hive stands or racks
• Make predator beehive traps, protective gowns and food supplements.

Delivery Methodologies;

All participants were provided with writing materials. To enable the training to be participatory and interactive emphasis were placed on adult learning methodologies over the duration of the training.

• Demonstration – a person is shown how to do something
• Experimental – where the person tries something and learns
• Group discussions
• Oral and written presentations
• Field work

Workshop Participants:

A total of 61 persons benefitted from the training. Both males and females were given equal opportunity to attend the training. This translates into a total of 09 males and 52 females.

• Each group was given to move outside the training venue and list the locally available trees in the surrounding suitable for setting up an apiary (shades and forage)
• The trainees were taken through apiary kit i.e. smoker, hive tool, brush, bee suit, pest repellents
• Participants were also tasked to list different types of hives found in the locality.
• Participants were given the purpose and functions of each of the equipment tools found in the apiary kit.
• Participants were tasked to list different types of beehives hanging methods.
• Shown how to dress and participants tried on how to dress on protective gear or gown.
• They were taken through on how to approach a beehive, with handling and beehive carrying techniques.
• They also learned and participated on how to gently open, inspect and gently close the beehive

• Participants converged at the apiary demonstration site 1 for one of the female participants.
• General apiary site working rules were given before the commencement of the site activities.
• Participants started by clearing the apiary site where to construct the beehive rack table or stand.
• Measured and demarcated the area for construction of the beehive rack table/stand.
• Dug rack-stand pole holes about 30cm deep.
• Measured and cut the appropriate stand length of about 140cm high.
• Fixed the cut stand poles into the dug holes and returned soil to firmly make the poles stand upright to hold the top timber rails.
• Nailed the rectangular rack frame running lengthwise onto the erected poles.
• Applied grease all round the pole to prevent predators.
• Measured and cut the cone shaped metal sheet and nail it above the greased area of the pole in order to protect it from being washed by rain.
• Once the rack stand was ready; protective gear was worn; and one participant climbed on top of the tree to lower the beehives while two others were waiting to carefully carry and place it on top of the newly constructed beehive rack.
• Once the beehive was put on top of the rack; the top hive cover was removed and participants started to inspect the hive colony and removed various pests like cob webs and black ants that had infested the beehive and thoroughly cleaned the beehive.
• This process was done for two other bee hives which were on the tree top without any difficulty.

Making of Sugar Syrup Solution;

• An empty jug was brought
• Two 300ml cups measured filled with sugar crystals were poured into the jug.
• Clean water was brought and slowly/gently poured into the jug containing the sugar while stirring with a clean stick to make a thick sugar solution.
• Once the crystals dissolved a molten sugar mixture was then poured into the hive feeder box through its top opening.
• The beehive top cover was removed and top bars closer to the brooder were removed to create working space for the insertion of the filled sugar feeder box.
• The filled feeder box was then gently inserted into the beehive and the top bars and cover replaced.
• Since there was only one feeder box the other hives were only inspected and cleaned.

Note:

• The feeder box is to be checked and refilled after 4 days. This is to avoid it getting stale which will be poisonous to the bees.
• After the participants finished inspecting and cleaning the beehives they resorted to start making bee suits using the local materials by measuring, cutting and sewing them as a review of what was covered in their first training held by senior trainer.
• Participants cleared the second demonstration site.
• A similar beehive rack was erected following the same procedures as done in demonstration site 1.
• Three Beehives were transferred from the tree top to the newly built beehive rack for inspection and cleaning.
• Other beehives were also lowered from the tree top for inspection and cleaning and returned to the tree stems in order to demonstrate the method of beehive hanging method.
• Participants tied firmly the binding wire all round the already inspected and cleaned beehives.
• An appropriate wire length was cut and tied on the tree stem protected with rubber to prevent it damaging the tree bark or outer coating.
• The beehives were lowered to desired level above the ground surface to allow easier beehive management.
• This was done for all other remaining beehives.
• At the close of day 3 participants had completed making 5 bee suits with local material.

Training Achievements

1. Participants were able to identify suitable tree shades for an apiary site.
2. Participants are able to use apiary gears and hive tools.
3. Participants acquired knowledge on handling and beehive carrying techniques.
4. Participants are able to construct beehive racks or stand with fixed with pest and predator control devices.
5. Participants are able to inspect and clean the beehives.
6. Participants are able to make sugar syrup solution for the beehive.
7. Participants are able to use the beehive feeder box.
8. Participants are able to use the two beehive placement methods; i.e. Beehive pattern method by placing on top of the beehive table rack and hanging on the tree stems by using binding wire.
9. Participants are able to identify various bee castes, brood larva, propolis, differentiate between ripe and unripe honey.
10. Participants are able to practically measure, cut and sew a bee suit gowns from locally sourced materials.
11. Participants have increased knowledge on apiary management.