“I used to work in an workplace, and folks would come to my administrative center to promote ‘West Nile honey’, named after the area I come from. I used to be to see that my area was getting used as a model, and found that West Nile is without doubt one of the prime ranked areas in Uganda for the manufacturing of honey.
So, I made a decision that I might come again residence, and begin an organization to serve my group.
UN Information/ Hisae Kawamori
Sam Aderobu, discovered of Honey Satisfaction
A product in demand
The product is in demand, each domestically and internationally, and has constructive medicinal and meals properties. We realized that there’s sturdy potential to provide it on a big scale.
Nonetheless, many individuals on this area are solely accumulating honey in a conventional method, as a passion. We determined to offer farmers steering, and supply them with the required expertise as a result of earlier than, they had been working with none formal assist; no-one was keen to spend money on supporting them to enhance the standard of their honey.
Right this moment, we’re working with over 1,700 farmers, who harvest honey from apiaries on their land. We offer a dependable marketplace for them, which inspires them to provide extra.
UN Information/ Hisae Kawamori
Beekeeper Betty Ayikoru, Arua, northern Uganda
Economic system, atmosphere and society
We imagine that if beekeeping is taken to a stage the place farmers perceive it as a as a enterprise, it may enhance their livelihoods; after we began the enterprise in 2015, a kilo of honey bought for round 3,500 Ugandan Shillings. Right this moment it’s about 7,000 Shillings. This has motivated many farmers to enter beekeeping.
Now they will afford fundamental requirements, and so they don’t have to fret about going hungry. They will purchase goats and different animals, and pay their youngsters’s college charges. Some have even been capable of purchase property. Beekeeping is altering their lives.
Our imaginative and prescient was to be a market chief within the sale of sustainable beehive merchandise within the Nice Lakes area, and to promote globally. Our merchandise at the moment are assembly worldwide requirements, and are being accepted in overseas markets”.
We’re attempting to construct up a devoted administration group, and plenty of of them are younger individuals. We’re getting assist from a programme run by the Meals and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which is addressing the perspective of youth in direction of agriculture, and the way they are often motivated to embrace agriculture as a supply of employment.
The younger individuals we’re interacting with, are starting to understand that they’ve an enormous half to play in nationwide improvement. So, whereas we wish to make a revenue, we even have a social facet to what we do.
UN Information/ Hisae Kawamori
Beekeeper Betty Ayikoru and her household at their residence in Arua, northern Uganda
Overcoming the monetary challenges
Finance has been considered one of our largest challenges. Due to an absence of finance, a lot of the honey-making course of have been performed manually. Nonetheless, the UN Capital Growth Fund (UNCDF), has enabled us to get funding from the Uganda Growth Financial institution, and enhance a part of our manufacturing course of.
We at the moment are utilizing an electrical honey press, and had been capable of purchase a filtering machine to enhance the standard of our product. We’re capable of course of about 5 tonnes of honey in a month, which is a really large leap in capability, and I’m certain that we will develop that to about 15 tonnes.
We’re very grateful for the assist we obtained from UNCDF, as a result of it additionally helped us to enhance our enterprise administration, enhance manufacturing, and enhance the standard of our product.”
