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“Starting this was just for home consumption. This is now my fifth year of keeping bees. We used just to harvest and we eat the honey at home. But later, Sam told us that there are people buying honey at good price. That is when I sold for the first time. I realized there was money in it. I just got motivated. Now I have increased my hives. But all are local hives, logs as you can see here, but they last long. When I get more money, I will increase the number.”
The Life as Beekeeper
Who belongs to your family / who is living with you?
My name is Acema Ben. My village is Onivu, parish is Okavu parish, Odupi sub-county, Terego East. I’m married, with children. In my family, we are seven. So, I’m the family head
How has beekeeping changed your life?
First of all, as stated earlier, we just used to harvest and consume this honey at home. We did not imagine that honey could be sold to get money that can support the family. But now, after we have realized that honey can help pay school fees for children, it can help with medication or even help to get labour to do other things, this is now the resolve I have made, to make it a livelihood, actually income generating project….for instance, I have bought 2, 3 goats already from selling honey. So, it has changed my life.
How do you provide a good environment for your bees?
Here the water source is very near here. Then there are trees, as you can see….plenty of trees and different species. So, I have tried to fence off this place with thorns to stop people from going in there and avoiding attack by the bees. You know people don’t listen. And we are soon going to start planting crops when rains are back. They will also get food from those crops. So, that is how we provide good environment for them. They look for their food. For us we wait to harvest.
What do trees mean to you and how can they be protected?
Trees are important. We use them for construction, as firewood and as wind break.
We protect these trees by ensuring that people don’t cut them down.
What is the most important thing in your life?
The most important thing I had considered in my life was education. Through education, you get exposed.
You get to know many people, you make many friends, and it makes your life good and you are respected in your community.
What are your biggest challenges and how do you plan to overcome them?
Here in the villages, we have many challenges. But the biggest could be lack of money to do things you would have liked to do. The little money you get has a lot of demand. To overcome this challenge is not easy. You have to work hard to raise money and this is one of the ways we are struggling to raise the money. We live others to God.
What do you like to do in your free time?
During my free time, we talk to children about life. How to respect, how to be responsible. These are the things we do during free time.
Which place would you like to see once?
I have nothing in my mind. I would just want to sit in one place here and maybe wait for the good luck. And if that luck comes, I can go anywhere just for a while and come back home to my family.
