Environmental Protection
The environmental protection aspect within the beekeeping program, is primarily tree planting, which focuses on maintaining the ecosystem and helps nature to adjust to external threats. The LIDEFO Beekeeping Project strives to contribute to the conservation and management of bees by intensifying tree planting alongside the apiaries in the mountains and plains of the Rwenzori region in the Kasese District. The trees will contribute towards environmental protection and provide nectar and pollen for the bees and fruit for the villagers to enhance their nutrition.
CHALLENGES:
Since the project began, there has been considerable growth and interest from the community and surrounding villages, With this in mind, the potential for this project to have a real impact within the community is significant if given the required support and training. There are however many challenges that the project faces as indicated below:
LIDEFO is looking for competent professionals in community project management and a strong group of committed volunteers to execute the beekeeping development and tree planting initiative; however as outlined above there are many challenges to overcome in order to achieve project sustainability. If you are interested in working with LIDEFO please visit our volunteer page for more information and instructions on how to apply.
CHALLENGES:
Since the project began, there has been considerable growth and interest from the community and surrounding villages, With this in mind, the potential for this project to have a real impact within the community is significant if given the required support and training. There are however many challenges that the project faces as indicated below:
- The villagers lack a basic knowledge of beekeeping and this limits their ability to produce adequate quantities of honey in relation to the number of beehives, meaning they are producing well below the potential of the hives
- Given the limited knowledge of beekeeping, there is a lack of commitment from many within the group which results in unkempt apiaries and neglected hives
- Many villagers fear the bees as they work without the required protective clothing and therefore are discouraged from entering the apiary
- An overall lack of capital and equipment results in the villagers and LIDEFO using inadequate and basic tools to carry out beekeeping techniques
- Currently the LIDEFO beekeeping group is finding that the lack of available expertise necessary to guide them in apiary management is impeding progress and development; which results in the challenge to identify a committed volunteer with beekeeping knowledge
- There is a lack of productive apiaries within the LIDEFO beekeeping group, which hinders the organisation’s ability to process and market its own honey
- The current system of collective apiary management is failing due to villagers not being accountable for group hives; leading to inequalities of work and discontentment in the group
LIDEFO is looking for competent professionals in community project management and a strong group of committed volunteers to execute the beekeeping development and tree planting initiative; however as outlined above there are many challenges to overcome in order to achieve project sustainability. If you are interested in working with LIDEFO please visit our volunteer page for more information and instructions on how to apply.