Need
Bees in Africa are much healthier than in most parts of the world. They produce high-value honey and other products as well as pollinating the food and cash crops that farming households depend on. But these advantages are not well understood in African countries and so honey bees are not appreciated, protected or used as much as they could be.
Solution
Bees for Development gives advice on beekeeping and making money from honey in developing countries. We plan to devolve our work to Centres of Excellence in African countries, building local skills in research, accreditation and training, and improving the advice available to beekeepers.
Aims
Strengthening African institutions to provide in-depth, scientific training in African apiculture.
Activities
» Work with academic, NGO and government bodies (including Bureaux of Standards) in sub-Saharan Africa in the development of curricula.
» Jointly develop a protocol and progressively hand over responsibility for the information service to Centres of Excellence in Africa.
» Support emerging Centres of Excellence in developing research and advice services.
Success will be high quality research, teaching and publications from apiculture Centres of Excellence in Ghana and Kenya.
More locally relevant information provision.
Activities
» Research and produce locally relevant information materials including training posters and guides.
» Select, prepare, edit and upload up-to-date information on African beekeeping to our Information Portal.
» Provide tailored answers to enquiries about African beekeeping.
Success will be an active information service giving good local detail about beekeeping and honey trade in Africa.
Faster development of market access for bee keepers in developing countries.
Activities
» Activities under aims one and two will contribute to this aim.
Success will be national, regional and international marketing of African bee products.
Impact
This project will improve the standard of information available to African beekeepers and bring faster development of markets and trade. A flourishing apiculture sector will support biodiversity and human development. Stronger research capacity in Africa will also mean better international understanding of successful African approaches.
Risk
Potential risks associated with this work:
1. No African institutions are interested in taking on the role. We have identified two interested institutions, in Ghana (West Africa) and Kenya (East Africa) with whom we have solid working relationships. 2. Current form of information provision (email) is not suited to target audiences. We will consider the provision of information via sms, which is more cost effective when services are provided locally.
Reporting
We will report annually to donors with a full narrative and financial report. We will also provide short project updates on a quarterly basis.
Budget - Project Cost: £39,000
| |
Amount |
Heading |
Description |
| |
£10,500 |
Staff |
Information Officer for Africa |
| |
£3,000 |
Staff |
Centre Director, Ghana (20% FTE) |
| |
£3,000 |
Staff |
Centre Director, Kenya (20% FTE) |
| |
£3,000 |
Staff |
Research Assistant Ghana |
| |
£3,000 |
Staff |
Research Assistant Kenya |
| |
£9,000 |
Research |
Field research costs |
| |
£4,000 |
IT |
Telecomms installation and running |
| |
£3,500 |
Publications |
Design, printing and distribution |
Current Funding / Pledges
| Source |
Amount |
|
| Big Give pledges |
£5,000 |
Conditional |
Location
Our project will be located in Kenya, Ghana and Monmouth, Wales.
Beneficiaries
Our project will benefit all those who are or could be involved in beekeeping in Ghana and Kenya. By promoting beekeeping this project also indirectly benefits all who rely on the pollination services that increase agricultural yields in Ghana and Kenya.
Why Us?
Bees for Development is best placed to carry out this project because it is an information centre, research body and development partner working at the heart of an international network of people and organisations involved with apiculture in developing countries since 1993. We promote apiculture as a valid, feasible way for marginalised communities to create environmentally sustainable and economically resilient livelihoods. We work to transfer skills and knowledge and develop market access.
Read more about the Charity running this project.
People
Dr Nicola Bradbear
Director of Bees for Development, Nicola Bradbear is an internationally recognised expert in apicultural development serving Apimondia amongst others.
Dr Monica Barlow
Monica is our Policy Advisor and works on sustainable beekeeping and strategy.
Lizzie McLeod
Lizzie is Project Officer, responsible for coordinating work in trade and market access.
