Supporting the next generation through beekeeping: Beekeeping education in Uganda

Blog by William Van Blyderveen

Posted: 14 May 2025

Youth, especially youth with a disability, have few opportunities for employment and limited access to land for income generation. They need low input, accessible livelihood activities. Beekeeping can provide this as it requires low start-up costs, demands limited labour requirements, and can provide significant income.

A practical beekeeping education provides the experience and skills for employment in the Uganda beekeeping sector or establishing a beekeeping business – providing a sustainable, conservation-oriented livelihood activity.

A classroom setting with brick walls and a blackboard. A woman stands behind a table demonstrating making a beekeeping suit, while another woman writes "BEE SUIT" on the blackboard. A sewing machine is placed on the table. Several students, both male and female, are seated and attentively watching the demonstration. One student in the foreground wears a yellow shirt with the words "STRUGGLE TO ACHIEVE" printed on the back.

Students learning how to make bee suits

Bees for Development, in partnership with The Uganda National Apiculture Association (TUNADO), supports youth through training programmes at vocational schools, targeting youth with a disability, and through college and university level beekeeping courses.

With generous support from the Travers Cox Charitable Foundation, we trained students at the Nancy Comprehensive School for the Deaf in Lira District. Students learned how to make bee suits and bee hives, both valuable skills as these products are in high demand in local markets. Hope Agwang, TUNADO’s Disability Inclusion Officer led the training, supported by Moses, a vocational school graduate trained by BfD last year! This is wonderful example of a training paying off within a short period of time.

A group of young men are gathered around a wooden workbench in a semi-open brick workshop. One man appears to be instructing the others on woodworking techniques, as he points at a wooden plank. Several planks and tools are visible on the bench. The atmosphere is casual but attentive. The background shows an open area with trees and natural light coming in through the large open windows.

Moses leading hive making training

A woman is standing and using sign language to communicate in front of a classroom. A poster with illustrations is pinned to the blackboard behind her. Several seated individuals are watching her, including a man in a wheelchair whose wheelchair bears a label reading "Donated by: Community Focus International 2024". Another man is writing or arranging something on the blackboard. The classroom has brick walls and a concrete floor.

Hope signing instructions to hearing impaired student

Nancy Comprehensive School will establish a training apiary in the coming months. Staff and students will learn the basics of beekeeping, including apiary set up, managing an apiary, honey harvesting and processing, beeswax processing, and bee product value addition.

A second school, Wakiso School for the Deaf, will join the training programme later this year, following a similar implementation plan to Nancy Comprehensive School.

We also support college and university level courses, ensuring students gain practical beekeeping skills. We recently reviewed a Certificate and Diploma in Beekeeping from Nyabyeya Forestry College and supported the college with training resources. Over sixty students now access practical beekeeping training, with future employment as government extension officers, beekeepers, or in beekeeping development work.

Makerere University runs a second-year apiculture course in their forestry programme. With BfD and TUNADO support, students recently set up the school training apiary and visited a beekeeping equipment manufacturing company. Students gain practical skills, essential for future work in the sector.

Three people are outdoors near a concrete wall and greenery. They are wearing rubber boots and casual clothing. One person is holding a wooden stick, another is stepping over a wooden structure made of logs, and the third person stands with hands on hips observing.

Nyabyeya Forestry College students making hive stands

Four individuals are in a wooded area with dense foliage. Three are gathered around a wooden table, while the fourth stands slightly apart, facing away from the group.

Makerere University students setting up top-bar hives for the training apiary

Beekeeping supports biodiversity and conservation efforts. By training youth and sharing the importance of bees for pollination and in the environment, we will also create a generation supporting conservation. In partnership with TUNADO, we ensure students understand the importance of bees and the importance of conserving habitat for them.

We will continue to support youth across Uganda. Our partner TUNADO is uniquely positioned to offer internships, supporting over 20 students last year, employment, and connections to possible employers across the country.

Youth need viable careers, which provide and income while supporting the environment and biodiversity.

You can support our work with youth in Uganda and around the world by making either a one off or a regular donation – just click the button below: