Creating community connections for the Batwa people through beekeeping

In August 2023, Bees for Development in partnership with The Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation (TUNADO) and the Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Trust (BMCT) started the second phase of work with the Batwa people.

These people are the original forest dwellers of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in south-western Uganda. In the 1990’s, they were forcibly removed when the national parks were created. Dispossessed and marginalised by the surrounding community, the Batwa people have few livelihood opportunities and are among the poorest minority people in the world.

In 2020, we began this work with with support from the Danish Beekeeper’s Association. Within three years, beekeeping created a community network, with Batwa and non-Batwa people supporting each other in beekeeping. On a recent visit, the Batwa beekeepers mentioned benefits ranging from a strong support network to paying school fees with their beekeeping income. TUNADO continues to support these beekeepers through extension visits and honey market development.

Richard, a Batwa beekeeper, shared some of his delicious honey in late February. He stated:

“People come to me for honey. I am known in the community as a beekeeper”.

Richard sold UGX 800,000 (equivalent to £160) of honey last year. This is significant because the average annual income in Uganda is just £700/year. Richard also emphasised the importance of beekeeping for creating friendships within the non-Batwa community. Many Batwa beekeepers in the community now work together with non-Batwa people and site bee hives on their land.

Building on this success, TUNADO trained another 64 Batwa people from four new communities to weave bamboo bee hives during December 2023 and January 2024. Locally available bamboo provides material for a low-cost bee hive, allowing beekeepers to increase their bee hives with little investment. The bamboo bee hives are plastered with clay to keep out pests, and roofed with grass.

Beekeepers learned how to bait their new bee hives with beeswax to attract honey bee swarms. Once baited, TUNADO staff guided the beekeepers in siting bee hives in forests near their communities. Batwa beekeepers are applying their new skills and continue to add more bee hives.

BMCT negotiated with the Uganda National Forest Authority to give the Batwa beekeepers permission to site their bee hives in the Echuya Central Forest Reserve. Landowners near the Batwa communities are also giving the beekeepers access to land to site their bee hives. In turn, the landowners are included in training to increase their connection with the Batwa people and to build a beekeeping network. These are important steps in bringing the Batwa people and surrounding communities together.

The new beekeepers are expecting their first honey harvest in June and July this year. In preparation, TUNADO is training them to make value-added products. Many tourists visit these areas, creating a market for Batwa honey and products such as beeswax candles and beeswax creams.

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