“What motivated me to start bee keeping is that I needed to get a source of income to help me address some of my economic challenges because it is hard relying on one source. So, I thought this was a good idea, since it was cheap to start. Then, we received some training about bee keeping and that motivated me to go into the project.”
The Life as Beekeeper
Who belongs to your family / who is living with you?
My name is Cemari Nelson. I am in Oluko Sub-county. I am married with children and they are all in school.
How has beekeeping changed your life?
Bee keeping is not very tedious, so I find it a little easy. I have been able to pay school fees for some of my children using money raised from selling honey. Although not so much, you find that sometimes you have something to support my family with basic needs. So, yes, it has changed a few things in my life.
How do you provide a good environment for your bees?
The environment here is conducive for bees.
There are plenty of trees, the water source is nearby, so this environment is already good for them. They have to look for their food now..
What do trees mean to you and how can they be protected?
These trees are very important. The first use I see here is that it helps the bees with good shade and forage. In fact I now realize that trees are very important for this bee project. So, we have ensured that this site is not destroyed by people who want to cut trees. We now protect them and people now know that we don’t allow tree cutting at this site
What is the most important thing in your life?
The most important thing in my life is harmony. God should give me love to be with people, to cooperate and avoid conflict.
What are your biggest challenges and how do you plan to overcome them?
My biggest challenge regarding this project is that I don’t have sufficient capital to increase this project. I wanted to increase my capacity for production so I can improve my livelihood. That would give better support to my family and help my children to study
What do you like to do in your free time?
After I have worked and want to rest, my mind goes to these bees. How can they benefit me more? So,
I often take time to pass around the apiary to see if they are doing well. But also, I sometimes take time to stay with friends, just to socialize
Which place would you like to see once?
If I were to choose a place to see, I would want to go to a place where people do bee keeping on a large scale. There could be groups out there that have advanced far in bee keeping, so I would want to go to such a place and learn from them so that I can come back and improve my practice.