Beekeepers for Life, Empowering 1300 Uganda Women

Training objective 

To equip trainees/farmers 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 inspection and management, 
•  Honeybee pests, predators and diseases and control measures, 
•  Honeybee colony management and 
• Bee forage/botany 

Training methodology and Approach 

We employed a number of methods and approach which included; 

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

The training started well with an open discussion/engagement on beekeeping with the objective of ; 

1. Trainers understanding the level at which group members understand beekeeping and the knowledge they have on the same. 

2. Knowing some of the challenges members are facing with their apiaries 

A number of topics were handled likes; 

Beekeeping equipment and tools, Apiary and Apiary siting, Apiary inspection and management, and Honeybee pests, predators and diseases and control measures. 

The day started with a recap of what was learnt the previous day. Each participant shared something they learnt on the previous day. 

After the recap, trainees were taken through; 

Honeybee colony management 

And lastly trainees were taken through Bee forage/botany 

What went well

A fruitful discussion happened and the group members shared; 

1. what they know about beekeeping (they have some basic beekeeping knowledge) 
2. The challenges they are facing (like; poor honey yields, pests and ants attacking hives, colonies absconding, poor honey market and lack of skills to harvest quality honeybee hive products) and 
3. The areas of improvement (like; Apiary management, making protective gears, etc.) 
4. big turned up for the training and they tried to keep time. 
5. More young people (non-group members) were encouraged to come for the training. This creates man power to work on apiaries and assures continuity hence project sustainability 
6. Most of the topics addressed the challenges shared in the discussion the previous day. 
7. Trainees were appreciative of the knowledge received