Honey Home Industry
The idea aims to create decent employment for youth and women through sustainable beekeeping, complements existing farming systems bringing more income to poor beekeepers and strengthening the rural economy. The proposed interventions could achieve increased sales of honey and other bee products, thereby generating greater income flows to the most disadvantaged people in the community
About You
Section 1: About You
First Name
Samuel
Last Name
Ndungo
Website
Country
Uganda, KAS
Section 2: About Your Organization
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
No
Organization Name
Luhwahwa Youth Development Foundation (LUYODEFO)
Organization Website
Organization Phone
Organization Address
Organization Country
Uganda, KAS
How long has this organization been operating?
Less than a year
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Your idea
Name your project.
Honey Home Industry
Describe Your Idea
The idea aims to create decent employment for youth and women through sustainable beekeeping, complements existing farming systems bringing more income to poor beekeepers and strengthening the rural economy. The proposed interventions could achieve increased sales of honey and other bee products, thereby generating greater income flows to the most disadvantaged people in the community
Country your work focuses on
Uganda, KAS
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
The idea is uniquely innovative since it focuses on promoting cheaper, low input farm based income generating activities with particular emphasis on bee rearing – a sector that is often ignored by many local farmers. It complements existing farming systems and it is simple and relatively cheap to start.
Beekeeping gives women and youth the opportunity to generate their own income and to have a meaningful and respectful position in their community and family. Provided it is done correctly and that all the appropriate support structures and market linkages are put in place, is an activity where the twin objectives of environmental conservation and poverty reduction seamlessly converge.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
No
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Tell us about the social impact of your innovation. Please include both numbers and stories as evidence of this impact
In through funding from 1% Fund for Development –Vienna, LUYODEFO has trained and supported 50 women and youth in beekeeping. An apiary demonstration with 10 hives was established, 50 hives given to farmers on credit and 10 sets of equipment –smokers and bee suite purchased to be used on rotational basis by the beekeepers as the need for use arise.
Farmers are more aware of bee keeping and the green environment, since they benefit from the diversity, the cross-fertilization effect promotes crop yielding and creates an ecological environment. Since the women are already very busy with farming, taking care of the children, household and other duties, this is very relevant. Anyone who is trained and access a small credit based on hive micro leasing can become a beekeeper.
Globally the market for speciality honey is good, and we are sure that with the right assistance, beekeepers in Kisinga subcounty could be delivering delicious and different, tropical African honeybee products to the market. But there are difficulties; poorly developed supply chains, lack of information about different markets, lack of inputs such storage containers, packaging materials etc and poor harvesting practices mean that the full income potential of beekeeping and honey trade is not being realized. With the growing market opportunities for honey, beekeepers might now have the chance to develop their subsistence beekeeping into income-generating enterprises.
Our plan is to train more farmers, give them input support in form of loans and marketing. A community honey collecting centre will be established, where beekeepers will be trained further, meet with buyers, while the honey will be collected, may be processed and bottled. The quality of the honey will be checked and guaranteed in this way. At each honey harvest the farmer hand over a percentage of their hive loans and from the extra income, they will also pay a service fee –for equipment and storage.
Problem
There is lack of funding, awareness and promotional activities for traditionally neglected, yet economically viable and environmentally sound activities.
Actions
This idea to be sustainably adopted by local farmers will include but not limited to the following activities;-
(a). The project will train farmers in apiculture and facilitate their organization into groups
(b). The project would provide a loan to help to get the farmers started, after which they would operate the bee-keeping business on an ongoing sustainable basis. The loan would be repaid within 3 years. Any bee keeper or beekeepers’ group will eligible get a collateral free loan at a low interest rate, which will be paid on selling honey at the collecting centre.
(c). Set-up a honey collecting centre to provides market for Honey –“Money for Honey” approach. Part of the money would be for buying local honey from beekeepers, bulking and further marketing
(d). Establish a candle making micro –enterprise for additional employment and supplementary income.
The success of this idea may be limited by lacking of funds - as all the implementation of above proposed action requires a monetary input.
Results
(a). Beekeeping will be adopted in the first year at 85 % rates owing to its profitability and the low input and labour requirements.
(b).Partnerships with the private- public sector will be enhanced in the long term. The local farmers will get chance to be linked with Micro finance institutions through the honey collecting centre.
(b). The health status of farmers will improve. Besides, selling for an income, honey will be consumed to enrich diets. On the other hand, honey is a powerful natural anti-biotic.
How many people will your project serve annually?
101‐1000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
If so, how?
Organizing symposium on honey marketing to bring into contact beekeepers and buyers as well as involve the Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation (TUNADO) and the Uganda Export Promotion Board (UEPB) in capacity building and encouraging the development of mutually beneficial trading relationships between producers and buyers.
Once local people and the national stakeholder in this sector -TUNADO and UEPB get to know of the problems faced by rural poor beekeepers, information on bee product will be accessed and pricing regularly monitored to avoid over exploitation.
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Does your organization have a board of directors or an advisory board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have any non monetary partnerships with businesses?
Yes
Does your organization have any non monetary partnerships with government?
Yes
Please tell us more about how partnerships could be critical to the success of your innovation.
The usefulness of partners is many folds - ranging from developing business plans, training, marketing etc. Marketing is usually based on market research. Partnering with other NGOs, the government and business will specifically assist in collecting market information and creating market links for the products in addition to routine services.
We would like to learn more about how your initiative is financially supported. Please explain your business plan/revenue model
We received a grant from 1% fund for development -Vienna, which was reinforced by local community contributions.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
Despite success in sectors such as tourism, Uganda remains among the least developed and poorest countries in the world. The majority its population live on less than $1 per day and the incidence of poverty is not decreasing. Agriculture remains vital to the economy - with 90% of the population deriving most part of their income from this source. Beekeeping and honey production are traditional activities practiced widely without the need for external inputs such as fertilizer, seed or complex processing equipment. However, inefficiencies in the supply chain and the low capacity of producers to understand and negotiate markets, means that this activity is not achieving its full potential in bringing income benefits to the poor.
The traditional beekeepers use cylindrical straw hives, which are plastered with mud, hallowed wood, clay pots and or baskets. In these conditions, the harvest is weak and in many cases they have one harvest a year. During honey harvest, the farmers use corn stalks or any dry grass for smoking the bees. As a result of sparks from the corn stalks or any dry grass, bees are killed and the honey is contaminated with ash, dead bees and other impurities including brood. In some instances, bush fires occur due to sparks from the material used in bee smoking.
Globally the market for speciality honey is good, and we are sure that with the right assistance, beekeepers in Kisinga subcounty could be delivering delicious and different, tropical African honeybee products to the market. But there are difficulties; poorly developed supply chains, lack of information about different markets, lack of inputs such storage containers, packaging materials etc and poor harvesting practices mean that the full income potential of beekeeping and honey trade is not being realized. Improved handling of honey can ensure adequate quality, while organisation of producers and engagement with the private sector can lead to better market access.
Reducing extreme poverty means teaching the next generation how to make money out of agriculture – the previous project on which this idea builds aimed to play a small but important part in this. To sustain and expand the impact, this extension has been planned.
Tell us about the social innovator—the person—behind this idea.
Mr. Ndungo Samuel is the coordinator of programs at LUYODEFO. With my career in animal production, i look at bee keeping as the most cheapest and easiest livestock business.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Web Search (e.g., Google or Yahoo)
If through another source, please provide the information.
Approximately 50 words left (400 characters)
Additional
Which (if any) of the following strategies apply to your organization or company (check as many as apply)
Other.
Please explain how your work furthers one or many of the above strategies (if you selected “other”, please explain your strategy)
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| bees1.JPG | 757.95 KB |
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 | 92 weeks agoSamuel Ndungo updated this Competition Entry. |
| 92 weeks agoSamuel Ndungo submitted this idea. |
