Sustainable Commercial Beekeeping

In Machakos, Homabay & Busia

Project Report
Sustainable Commercial Beekeeping Report

1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

KUMEA (Kujenga Maisha East Africa) is the development arm of the New Apostolic Church, East
Africa. The organization is officially registered as an NGO in Kenya with branches to be set up in
Uganda Tanzania and Zanzibar. It is a Faith Based Organization (FBO) whose core aim is to
facilitate the poor communities in East Africa to realize sustainable socio-economic development.

KUMEA does not discriminate people in its programs. It operates beyond church borders.
KUMEA works with Partners that promote improved livelihood in the communities and that
engage communities in working together in groups in the areas of agriculture, water and
sanitation and environment. The Organization uses the church operational areas to set up
structures to reach out to its target groups

In February 2011, Kumea approached Bishop John Echkardt (Rtd) of Canada with a project
proposal for Sustainable commercial beekeeping in areas of Machakos, Busia and Homabay. On
1st March 2011, Kumea received a funding from the Bishop and immediately launched the
project. The project aims at mitigating the effects of crop failure as a result of prolonged
drought and poverty resulting from lack of appropriate life skills.

The sustainable commercial beekeeping project is planned to last for one year with five major
events that include training of farmers in modern beekeeping methods; supply of the
Langstroth beehives to farmers; supply of six frame centrifuge machines and a Farmers field
day.

This report covers the period of March to August 2011. In this report, we consider the summary
of activities against the budget, and we assess progress against our forward indicators which
determine whether we are on track.

Until now, the following activities have been completed so far.

 An agreement between Kumea and Honey Care Africa was signed

 45 farmers have received training in modern beekeeping
 45 Farmers have been awarded certificates in Apiary level 1
 135 Langstroth beehives have been supplied to 45 farmers.
 In Machakos, 21 beehives have been colonized with bees, 7 in Busia and 11 in Homabay.
 3 Six frame centrifuge machines have been supplied by Honey Care Africa.
 Extension services are continuing to be offered by Honey Care Africa

1.1 Lessons Learned

 Farmers are eager to see outcome of the project
 Farmers who attended the trainings will no longer kill bees in order to extract the
honey.
 Farmers will be more friendly to bees than before.
 Women will now participate in beekeeping as it had previously been a men only affair.

1.2 Challenges
Continuity of the project requires monitoring. The available funds may only provide one more
visit to the farmers. It may not be possible to monitor the project to its end.
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2.0 INTRODUCTION

Farmers in Busia, Machakos and Homabay face many problems in trying to make a living. In
general, the causes of poverty are low farm productivity and low literacy rates. They are short
of cash and credit to invest in their farms and to buy inputs. This makes it very difficult for them
to pull themselves out of poverty, thus KUMEA targets to pull them out of poverty by
introducing them to sustainable commercial beekeeping and linking them to the ready market
provided by Honey Care Africa. An average family in these regions has 8 members. That means
the project will impact at least 360 individuals. Training of farmers in the processes of
commercial beekeeping will further augment their ability to provide practical skills to the young
people in the communities.

2.1 Project Goal

To improve food security and household incomes among small holder farmers in the Regions of
Busia, Machakos and Homa Bay.

2.2 Project Objectives.

 Establish 135 beehives and Introduce 45 farmers to commercial beekeeping.

 Introduce 45 farmers to beekeeping as an income generating activity.
 Provision of high energy food source for the families.
 Increase household incomes for the participating households.
 Cushion the community against crop failure.
 Create employment for 45 individuals.
 To establish an innovative model of microeconomic enterprise which can be replicated
in other regions
 To enhance solidarity and sustainability of the communities.

3.0 TRAINING REPORT

3.1 Beneficiaries
The training targeted 3 Groups located in three different areas as shown in the table below;

DATE REGION VILLAGE GROUP NAME No. Of Trainees

Participants. Males Females
th th
27 – 29 April Machakos Yatta Kwa Masoo S.H.G 19 12 7
th th
4 –6 May Homabay Magunga Magunga II B.K. S.G.H 15 8 7
th th
10 – 12 May Busia Amka Twende S.H.G 18 9 9
Kumea Staff 3 2 1
TOTAL. 55 31 24

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3.2 Gender Ratios 44% Women & 56% Men

The training was based on the need to improve livelihoods through income generating
activities to communities in the target areas. The main purpose of the training therefore was to
provide the target group with the theoretical and practical knowledge on modern commercial
bee keeping. A total of 55 participants actively participated in the training and would be
expected to handle bee keeping with ease.

3.3 Objectives of The Training

 To impart proper beekeeping skills to enhance production of quantity and quality

honey that can sell locally and abroad to generate income hence help in improving
family sustainability in the rural areas.

 To provide an opportunity to sharing experiences and learning new technologies in

commercial bee keeping using Langstroth hive.

 To enable civil society organization and government to have an opportunity to

appreciate bee keeping as a viable and sustainable project.

3.4 Participation

A selection criterion was at least 15 participants from each beneficiary group were to attend
the training; there was a positive response whereby the turn up exceeded the limit. The
participants showed their willingness to be trained about the langstroth hive and the
management practices that enable a beekeeper produce high yields of honey and of good
quality as required by the modern market

3.5 Training Methodology

During the training a more participatory method was employed putting into consideration the
target group as having practical experiences within their locality with the facilitator/ trainer
playing the lead role.
Illustrations and hands-on demonstrations formed the major part of the training as participants
could grasp easily when given the opportunity to express their learning points in
demonstration.
Eventually a more practical session was introduced where the participants were taken through
a hands-on session demonstrating bating, Apiary preparation and transfer of colonized hives. A
recap was done every morning to assess a previous day’s learning where each participant had
to participate.
During the presentations the participants were more than convinced that the bees are the best
commercial ‘partners’ they had assumed for a long time and could change their livelihood to
the better once given a critical mind. During the training Kiswahili language was used and
translated to local dialect where necessary for better understanding in all sessions.

3.6 Training Norms

Participants led by the facilitator in all the training sites were taken through some of the rules
and time table that could enable the training session to run smoothly, together they agreed on
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the following:

TRAINING TIME TABLE

9.00 - 11.00 11.15 - 13.00 14.00- 16.00
Day 1 Session 1 Session 2 Session 3
Day 2 Session 1 Session 2 Session 3
Day 3 Session 1 Session 2 Session 3

3.7 Participant’s Expectations

 To know any other bee products apart from honey.

 To know whether we have English stingless bees.
 To learn how to hang box hives.
 To train on proper harvesting methods and how women can work with bees.
 To know the time duration bees take to make honey.
 To learn why honey is sometimes thick/light of different color.
 To train on the methods of catching bees.
 The importance of honey in our body.
 To be able to measure good quality honey
 To establish what determines comb pattern in a hive.
 To learn on honey marketing/bottling.
 To learn on how we can use/or do bee keeping to improve our incomes.
 How to choose an apiary site.
 To know the ways and how to be friendly to the bees.
 To get a certificate after the training
 To know the types of bee hives
 Educations on bees to enable one become a trainer of trainers.

3.8 Practical Session

The participants went for the practical training where the following were drawn from the
demonstration site;
 How to use the modern bee keeping equipments. - Wearing a bee suit, Lighting a
smoker etc
 Colony management practices.
 Supering – introduction of pure honey storage chamber.
 Features of a potential apiary.
 Demo on hive parts and uses
 Identification of bee forage plants and other crops
From the practical sessions, the recap clearly showed that the participants who had been
fearing bees were now rearing to go and could share their learning points.

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3.9 Training Challenges

 Language Gap;
This was experienced at Magunga and Busia. Some of the participants were old and
could not speak or write either English or Kiswahili. Translation was done for them but
the trainer was not sure whether it was properly done as he could not also understand
the language. This also took extra training time.
 Lack of Colonized Hives for Practical’s
In all the three areas there were no hives nearby that could be used for practical
training.
 Poor Roads & Means of Transport
 At Homa Bay and Busia, the last ports of the journey to the training venues were long
and could only be covered by boda boda (motor cycle).
 It was difficult with all the training materials to be transported. Magunga could only be
reached on saloon cars which were overloaded to the carrier.

3.10 Recommendations

To ensure that this enterprise becomes successful it is recommended to conduct on-site

practical training on honey extraction. This will be necessary when delivering the extractor
since none of the trained groups has a picture of how it works.

 Follow-up at different stages of hive and colony management e.g.

 Apiary preparation and hanging hives to catch bees.
 Supering and harvesting
 Demonstration/field day.
 Follow-up on hive hanging to catch bees, and apiary construction.
 Follow-up on hives transfer into the apiary, first inspection after transferring and colony
and apiary management.
 Follow-up on supering pre-harvesting inspection and harvesting.
 Follow-up on proper honey super storage and honey extraction.

During the honey season a demonstration on extraction can be done at the processing centre
and all bee-keepers, other farmers and stake holders be invited to witness. This will encourage
those not serious and invite more new ones to the enterprise. If any honey buying the farmers
can be paid on the spot to practically demonstrate income generation from the enterprises.

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4.0 PARTICIPANTS LIST

4.1 Kumea Staff

NAME
1. Joseph Opemba Ekhuya
2. Johnny Aura Shikuku
3. Rosslyn Kulohoma

4.2 Kwamasoo Self Help Group (Machakos)

Name
1. Musembi Mutiso
2. Agnes Nthule Mbatha
3. Nicholas Kioko Nguta
4. Victoria Ndinda Mutuku
5. Alphonce Muia Nguku
6. Peter Kioko Ndunda
7. Paul Muindi Muange
8. Patrick Mbithi Musembi
9. Rosalia Ndila Masila
10. Simon Matheka Muindi
11. Jane Mueni Mutua
12. Jacinta Mbatha Mbomba
13. Agnes Thula Mbatha
14. Cecilia Ndunge Kithuka
15. Samuel Kiilu Mbatha
16. Muthini Mulinge
17. Musembi Mutiso
18. Dominic Mbatha Wambua
19. James Mutuku Masila

4.3 Magunga 11 Self Help Group (Homabay)

Name
1. Wilson S. Andiego
2. Laban Karan Adidi
3. Eunice Adhiambo Odunga
4. Francis Mbewa Adan’ga
5. Elseba Agutu Oima
6. Moris Odunga Oluoch
7. Michael Ogogo Okumu
8. Anna Nyakwaka Atieno
9. Michael Odundo Hono
10. Ruth Atieno Lazaro
11. Samson Igadwa Mbwaga
12. Esther Atieno Ndiro

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13. Rael Kanaiza Gadwa

14. Peter Otieno Oluoch
15. Susan Ongayo Sikuku

4.4 Amuka Twende Self Help Group (Busia)

Name
1. Peter Egesa
2. Pamela Ajambo
3. Wilfreda Motoka
4. Josephat Etenyi
5. Everline Abwire
6. Sakaria Okanya
7. Gladys Taabu
8. Everline Esonga
9. Fredrick Wanyama
10. Evans Nalisi
11. Harrison Omwingi
12. Celestine Barasa
13. Pamela Ouma
14. Leonida Kwoba
15. Christine Mangeni
16. George O. Makoicha
17. Michael Makecho
18. George N. Boira

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5.0 PHOTO STORY

5.1 Machakos

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5.2 Homabay

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5.3 Busia

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