Support marginalised groups

Economic empowerment for women, indigenous communities and people living with disability is high priority. Our training in inclusive beekeeping helps break down barriers that prevent these groups from building a sustainable livelihood through beekeeping.

Whether it’s a string-line through an apiary for visually impaired beekeepers, or lower hive stands for women beekeepers our team are committed to making beekeeping accessible to all.

Uganda

In 2024, The Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation (TUNADO) and Bees for Development worked with 102 women in northern Uganda, delivering inclusive beekeeping for sustainable livelihoods training. They learnt to make bee hives and how to harvest and process honey.

The beekeepers were also connected to Jephina Honey, a woman owned honey enterprise. In 2024, the 102 women beekeepers harvested and sold 2,042kgs of honey, worth approximately £4,370, an average of £42 each. This is a significant income with the average annual income from £700/year.

We have began a new project with 150 women, 17 with a disability, and 100 men in Soroti district of Uganda.

Zimbabwe

Starting in 2023, 100 women over three areas have been taught how to construct beehives, with 100 hives now occupied. To further support this work by Working for Bees, our Big Give Green Match 2024 raised funds to establish a tree nursery. Now complete, the nursery is providing bee-tree seedlings and jobs to the local community.

The Batwa people of Kisoro District in Uganda face many challenges having been forcibly removed from their ancestral forests. Learning beekeeping has become a life-changing opportunity for them as they gain independent income and respect from their neighbouring communities, whilst protecting the forests that house and feed their bees.

“I saw from friends, when they would harvest, they would have honey to give to their sick children. They would also sell and get money to feed their family”

– Charity Irene, Batwa community member

48 members of the Batwa community (18 women, 30 men) have been trained in how to make their own hives. The average number of hives made by new beekeepers in 2024 is six.

New partnerships have been created between Batwa beekeepers and landowners – so beekeepers have somewhere to site hives and collect hive making materials. In 2024, 19 landowners expressed interest in partnering with Batwa beekeepers.

Uganda – Vocational schools

We have been working at the Mbale Secondary and Vocational School for the Deaf, giving students skills needed to join the beekeeping industry, and earn income. Tailoring students have learned how to make bee suits, carpentry students – top-bar hives and welding students have been making smokers.

There is a demand for beekeeping supplies – protective equipment, bee hives, and smokers in Uganda. Training youth to make equipment will allow them to reach this market and gives them a competitive advantage. In addition, they can set themselves up with all they need to start their own beekeeping enterprise.

One student mentioned the importance of these new skills:

“This equipment is not common compared to other skills we learn as part of the syllabus. Everywhere carpenters, tailors and welders compete because everyone is making the same things which makes business not profitable. With these new skills we shall make good money.”

In Uganda, 70 youth – 30 with disability – received beekeeping, hive making, and bee suit making training.

Mbale Secondary and Vocational School got a contract from a local business to make 20 top-bar hives and earned UGX 1,600,000 (c.£350).

Uganda – Bee Champions

We supported three disability inclusion workshops at district level for Bee Champions and group leaders, to impart a positive attitude and mindset change towards disability inclusion. All groups will now include and support at least two people with disabilities.

Beekeeper training has now been provided to 118 people with disabilities and Bee Champions supported these people to increase hives to a minimum of ten. 3.5 tonnes of honey was harvested across all the project locations.

Beekeepers have since reported increased demand for their honey due to the good quality. The market is growing with a number of buyers approaching TUNADO in search for honey, wax and other products.

The income from honey, wax, propolis, translated into UGX 28.1 million (£6,223) in incomes for the beekeepers. In July 2024 alone, 1,829kgs of honey was harvested by 110 beekeepers and sold for £3,567.

Read some articles from our blog on our work supporting marginalised groups through beekeeping.