Beekeeping plays a vital role in tropical regions by supporting both nature and people’s livelihoods. Bees help pollinate plants and crops, keeping forests healthy and boosting the growth of fruit, vegetables and nuts. This is especially important in tropical areas as a lot of plant and animal life depends on pollination. For local communities, beekeeping offers a low-cost way to earn income through products like honey and beeswax. It also helps farmers grow more food and can provide a steady income even during tough times like droughts.
Size of Wales’ delivery partner, the Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise (METGE) is supporting communities to take up beekeeping and started the initiative, which is part of the Advancing Gender Equality for Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation project funded by WCVA and the Welsh Government, by working with two groups (the Butta Environmental Energy Integrated Association and Namawanga Initiatives). Project participants were trained in introductory topics to beekeeping. These included bee biology, basic beekeeping equipment, apiary site selection and colony inspection. METGE also distributed essential beekeeping equipment to the two local groups, such as beehives, catcher boxes, bee suits and equipment.
The beehives have been sited and quickly colonised thanks to technical support from METGE have been very successful by using lemongrass to attract bees, keeping their apiaries clean, and placing hives in ideal warm, lowland areas. In total 60 members (48 women and 12 men) were supported in the two beekeeping groups. 37 out of the 40 hives colonised (77%) and had harvested 15kgs of honey.
