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