Turning Women Farmers into Beekeepers
Before 2020, there had not been a beekeeping project solely targeting women in Dowa around Kongwe Forest Reserve. As such, the Dowa Women Beekeeping Project by ICAD with support from Bees Abroad, has enabled women to take up beekeeping as a supplementary means of improving their livelihoods.
The project comes as a source of encouragement and practical guidance for women beekeepers and most importantly the skills attained through training continue to meaningfully engage the women’s groups on crucial matters affecting their livelihoods through which beekeeping serves as a means of uplifting their lives.
As with all of our Bees Abroad programmes the group participates in a programme that blends classroom lessons with practical hands-on experience. Nothing quite matches the excitement and engagement of seeing the first hives assembled and understanding how to look after them and their occupants, the bees.
The Dowa Group is one of our largest recent projects and Bees Abroad believe it has been a great success. We’re already planning an expansion of the programme with our partners at ICAD through our Beekeepers For Life campaign. Don’t, however, just take our word for this success.
Meet Mai Lucy Kamdolozi -one of our participants from the Tilipo Women Beekeeping Group within the Dowa project.
Mai is a first time beekeeper and when asked about her thoughts on the beekeeping training this is what she had to say:
“I have been encouraged and inspired by the basic beekeeping training which has provided me with an introduction to beekeeping and basic skills for bee management. I am very hopeful that beekeeping will contribute to Improving nutrition and food security for my family. In addition, income realized from my beekeeping business will able me to pay for school fees for my children.”
And, of course, nothing beats the feeling of coming home from the apiary having harvested honey..
Photo Credits: all photos courtesy of ICAD