Bee-Keeping
African Revival recently introduced a Bee-Keeping programme in Northern Uganda. Bee-Keeping is an ideal income generating activity for individuals and small well managed groups. This is primarily due to the very low running costs Bee-Keeping projects have after the initial outlay. Instead profits can be used to supplement family income, school fees, agricultural projects, or an ongoing project such as the development or building of a house. With each harvest a small percentage can be used to reinvest by adding an additional hive to the project whilst the rest can be put towards an activity requiring supplementary income to ensure for development in a sustainable and manageable manner. Essentially it is an ideal income generating project as rich or poor, young or old, literate or illiterate can carry it out successfully!
In essence bee keeping is about training, hives being placed in the right location, management of the hives, harvesting, production and sale of honey.
The advantages of Bee-Keeping are however extensive:
· Bee-Keeping produces honey for sale and income generation.
· The honey produced also has medicinal qualities when eaten or applied on wounds, and is also a food with nutritional value.
· In the hive there is also bees wax which can produce an income through sales, be used to make candles, soap and polish at a low cost in an environmentally manner.
· Propolis can produce income through sales, whilst providing a valuable antiseptic.
· Bees provide a valuable source of pollination and hence can increase farers crop yield and spread wild plants.
· Bees are free of charge.
· Bees have no boundaries and trees are free so there is no conflict with land and animal owners.
· The climate in Gulu is favourable to Bee-Keeping.
· Bees have no noted diseases.
· Bees find their own water, food and defend themselves.
· Bee-Keeping requires less land and time for management.