Meet Nigatu Dejene

Meet Nigatu Dejene

Nigatu is one of the newest members to join the Bees for Development team, pioneering new work near Arba Minch, in the Gamo zone, an area of Ethiopia that we have not worked in before. As a Field officer Nigatu is the main link between beekeepers in the area and Bees for Development Ethiopia.

In this Q&A, he introduces the beekeeping of the Gamo zone and how beekeeping is able to contribute to climate change mitigation and gender inclusion.

Image above: Field Officer Nigatu Dejene

What does your role as Field Officer in Arba Minch involve on a day-to-day basis?

After delivering beekeeping skills development training to the beneficiaries, I conduct follow-up visits to the apiary sites of the beekeepers. vising the sites with the beekeepers and providing them with awareness regarding any technical skill gaps I observe and direction on the overall management of apiary site to improve honey production in quality and quantity.

What first motivated you to work in community-based beekeeping and rural development?

Because beekeeping is my profession I was able to see that beekeeping creates opportunities for others and I can share and learn from local communities to better support sustainable development of my area.

Can you describe the beekeeping context in Arba Minch and the surrounding area? (What are the main opportunities and challenges for beekeepers there?)

Most of the beekeeping activity in Arba Minch zuria woreda is local forest beekeeping where beekeepers hang local -style hives on tall trees to attract bee colonies and produce honey. The opportunities are plenty with the availability of water being high, there is a diverse range of different species of bee forage which provide pollen and nectar sources for bees. The main challenges are presence of pesticides and pests such as, beetles, ants, wax moths, termites, lizards and bee-eater birds.

What are some of the most common challenges you see beekeepers facing in your region today?

Beekeepers are facing a shortage of bee forage due to high deforestation in the area. There is an extremely high use of agrochemicals for crops, fruits and vegetables that the bees forage on. The area also has a variety pests and predators as mentioned and with the ever worsening effects of climate change there is a major increase in absconding and colony migration.

Image above: Backyard apiary in Mele kebele

Image above: Beekeeper theory training session

How is climate change affecting bees and beekeeping practices locally?

Climate change has lead to irregular rainfall, prolonged droughts and extreme temperatures. These affect the flowering periods of bee flora and change the times of honey flows making it difficult for beekeepers to know when to harvest their honey. We have also seen an increase in bees absconding and moving to other areas during the dry seasons.

In your experience, what role do bees play in supporting household incomes and food security in rural communities?

Bees contribute highly to the productivity of crops. Most fruits and vegetables are pollinated by bees allowing them to bear produce and increasing yields. Honey can be consumed as an additional food source, a medicinal product and is a good source of income for the community.

Do you see differences in how women and young people engage with beekeeping in your communities?

In previous years, the participation of women and young people in beekeeping was rare, this is mainly due to the beliefs that beekeeping is a man’s activity. In recent years however, this attitude has been changing and there are some women and young people starting to engage in beekeeping in neighbouring woredas. Currently, In Arba Minch zuria many women and young people have shown an eagerness to engage more in beekeeping.

What are your priorities for your work over the next year in Arba Minch?

My priorities for the year are to engage with new beneficiaries from the selected project implementation kebeles and provide them with the beekeeping technical skills they need for their beekeeping development. After the training delivered, I will provide continual support to the now beekeepers and help in selecting and organizing their apiary sites while filling any technical skill gaps on how to manage bee colonies.

What message would you like to share with supporters of your work and the wider international community?

Let us create awareness and show the rural communities of Ethiopia the great contribution of bees in improving global human food production through pollination. Let us encourage young people to engage in beekeeping as a business which can create an income source from the sale of hive products especially from honey and beeswax.

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Image above: Bamboo beehives in Lante kebele