Creating a buzz in the Nou Forest

06 August 2013

Photo: Lucia with her beehives

Lucia Chami is just one of the 23,000 people living in Tanzania's Nou Forest currently benefitting from Farm Africa support.

44 year old Lucia joined a Farm Africa beekeeping group in 2009, and has since become a very successful beekeeper. Income from sales of her honey have meant that not only can she now afford her usual household expenses, such as providing food and schooling costs for her family, but she has also been able to open her own shop.

Lucia was a reluctant beekeeper at first. Beekeeping was traditionally seen as a male activity, while she was also fearful of the bees.

“In the past I was afraid of being stung by bees but Farm Africa gave us modern equipment that protects us and this is why I don’t fear them anymore,” says Lucia.

Growing success

When she first started beekeeping, Farm Africa provided her with eight beehives. Thanks to her success in producing and selling honey, she has now increased that number to twelve - producing 75kg of honey a year. By 2014 she plans to increase that number again to twenty hives.

As well as selling raw honey, Lucia is now planning to start producing various goods using the waste beeswax left over from honey processing, such as candles, lotions and ointments.

Her success has also led her beekeeping group to select her to become a member of their marketing committee. This has allowed her to attend two trade exhibitions as well enhancing her knowledge and understanding of honey marketing. Other women in her village have been encouraged by Lucia's success to join the beekeeping group.

Photo: Lucia in her shop

And the shop Lucia has opened with some of the proceeds of her beekeeping is doing well, selling a range of foodstuffs and soft drinks, and of course tasty honey.

Find out more about our work in Tanzania.

If you want to support this and our other projects, please make a donation to Farm Africa.