While it is common knowledge that bee populations are not doing well in the Netherlands, they are also declining in other parts of the world. In Africa they have been steeply declining since 2015. This is mainly due to the dumping of pesticides that are banned in Europe. Another contributing factor is the practice of smoking out bees when harvesting honey, causing their death. This is obviously not a sustainable way of beekeeping. However, bees are very important to the locals, as many of them work in agriculture. Bees also contribute to pollination and therefore cause more successful harvests. When beekeeping is done in a sustainable way, beekeepers can make a profit from honey and beeswax. These products offer nutritional benefits, as well as several other applications.
In cooperation with Hope Alive, 50 families (consisting of 340 people in total) have received beekeeper training in Gulu, Uganda. Faunawatch has also distributed 150 beehives and manuals to the participants. A rotational system provides protective clothing and tools. The families have already received basic training and the second part of the training will take place in August. The families also receive guidance on a regular basis from 3 mentors, who have followed 5 consecutive beekeeping trainings. They can answer the families’ questions and give them extra tips to help them get started. A sales partner has also been appointed to whom the honey is offered. A fixed price has been established, depending on the quality of the honey.
