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“This project was started by my father. So I started by helping him. But what motivated me to take it serious is the returns. I realized that my father was getting good money from the few hives he was maintaining. You could see that the money sometimes is more than from the sale of produce such as beans etc. You also don’t do a lot of work. That is what motivated me to take it up as an enterprise.”
The Life as Beekeeper
Who belongs to your family / who is living with you?
My name is Maxwel. I am married with only one kid. I also have one helper living with us. So, we are four in the family.
How has beekeeping changed your life?
It is now about seven years since I joined my father in this project. Over this period, I have acquired some things – I have bought animals like goats, I have bought a bicycle and since I got married, it also helps me to support my family.
How do you provide a good environment for your bees?
Providing good environment for the bees for us is about keeping these trees where the hives are.
We have also planted other trees around this place – like mangoes, we have coffee trees around and other wild species that help them. There is water nearby – as you can see this is a valley, but there is also a borehole there, so the bees can get water easily rather than going far, especially during dry season.
What do trees mean to you and how can they be protected?
To me the importance of trees comes in terms of providing fresh environment- fresh air, but most importantly in this case for keeping my hives for the bees.
These trees are protected because they are mostly planted, like the mangoes etc. So, people don’t cut them or even steal them.
What is the most important thing in your life?
The most important thing in my life is farming. I have seen my father bring us up through peasant farming. That is why I have taken it up. So, these additions like bee keeping etc help me improve my livelihood. But I want to ensure my children go to school and get good education.
What are your biggest challenges and how do you plan to overcome them?
I have challenges in life, especially in cultivation – weather patterns have changed and that affects crop yields a lot. In the bee keeping sector it is the natural occurrence. Sometimes you face challenges of poor colonization and that affects your next harvest. But this year was better. In terms of overcoming these challenges, well if it is weather, you have no control. Even for the bees, you cannot do much but wait for them to colonize. May be we have to start trapping them. This may need money.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I spend my free time resting, because that is after I have done some work. Sometimes I can go out and spend that time with friends.
Which place would you like to see once?
One place I would wish to see once is Netherlands…. this is because the Vision Group now takes farmers there on visits. I think it should be a good place.
