I have nothing but admiration for the beekeeping charities who work in countries where they need help and tuition. Much is done by dedicated volunteers who tirelessly work to help relieve poverty using sustainable methods.

Below are a list of charities with a short description of their work that has been taken from their websites, so the information is theirs, not mine. The buttons on the top left will access the websites.

Bees Abroad

We are a small UK-registered charity seeking to reduce poverty through beekeeping. Volunteer Project Managers assess and support beekeeping projects in developing countries world wide. They use their expertise, working in the local community group to develop a viable project which will become self-sustainable.

Using indigenous bees and techniques appropriate for each location, Bees Abroad offers training and support in beekeeping including making hives and protective clothing from local materials, managing honeybees, collecting honey safely and handling and storing it hygenically.

Home-based production of honey and other saleable goods from the by products of beekeeping is introduced, together with marketing and business skills to ensure the sustainable generation of new income by poor rural communities in developing countries. Bees Abroad projects are normally self-sustaining after five years and no longer dependent on external finance and mentoring.

Bees for Development

Bees for Development assists beekeepers living in poor and remote areas of the world - lifting them out of poverty through beekeeping. We work with individuals, trainers, community groups and associations, raising the profile of apiculture in developing countries to ensure a sustainable future for bees, people and the environment.

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We believe livelihoods are sustainable when people have the means to take advantage of available resources and have the resilience to overcome difficulties. We value and respect local skills, recognising that local people have developed a relationship and understanding of their environment. We believe self-reliance and empowerment can be enhanced through access to knowledge and information.

• We promote the use of local resources and we do not send equipment or bees to poor countries.
• We advise the use of indigenous bees. This allows the maintenance of healthy strains of bees and helps to combat the spread of the bee health problems.
• We believe building capacity through information and knowledge sharing leads to self-reliance and empowerment of the poor.
• We believe the best hive type is one that is appropriate to the local context, is good for bees and affordable for beekeepers.
• We believe incomes can be raised by teaching beekeepers to analyse and understand their local market environment.

 

As with everything else when you are busy it is too easy to overlook the needs of others. Please take a moment to visit the websites, see and understand the work that is being done and offer a little help if you can.

Roger Patterson.

Page created 07/07/2013