By Ronald Sonyo
TRT Afrika, Arusha, Tanzania
Maasai herders in northern Tanzania are resorting to beekeeping after years of recurrent droughts devastated the number of their livestock.
The predominantly pastoralist community has hitherto attached economic and cultural importance to owning herds of cattle, goats and sheep that are passed through generations.
But unpredictable weather patterns have sparked a parting of ways with their traditional lifestyle, as droughts make it harder to find enough pasture.
Nowhere is the switch to beekeeping more visible than in the village of Esilalei, in Arusha region, where beehives parched on trees have become a common sight.
A group of around 30 Maasai women here are part of a network of smallholder bee keepers who produce, label and brand their products locally. Men have also joined in the flourishing trade of harvesting honey.
Paulo Michael told TRT Afrika that he was among the early embracers of embraced beekeeping and had since developed a wide network of customers - some from outside the country.
“I have passed my skills to my children because through this work we are certain of our daily meal. Although there are a few challenges like getting proper modern facilities to process honey, we are slowly managing,” says Paulo.
The beekeepers say working as a network of honey sellers has helped them develop a better understanding of the trade and how to overcome the challenges like securing a steady market.
Maria Shinini, another local beekeeper from the same village, recounts how beekeeping has transformed her life and that of her family.
She said her family used proceeds from selling honey to pay their children’s school fees, build a decent house and added a few livestock in their compound.
Women participation
Traditionally, Maasai women have been hardly involved in income generating activities. Their influence in the male-dominated community minimal. But now, some of them are taking active economic roles through beekeeping.
“For now, we are equally taking part in helping our husbands to support our families. We are being respected through beekeeping. Now, I can feed both myself and my family.
"Initially, there was no market to sell our products. We would end up selling our harvest to family members, friends and the nearby community/ But now we have expanded our market,” says Shinini who has around 85 hives.
As they narrate their success, the beekeepers admit their journey has not been easy. Initially, they had less skills on beekeeping and operated on a loss for long periods.
“We were backward, we were not able even to go to the market and do our own shopping. But now, we have the purchasing power, we can pay school fees for our children and help our community at large. Before, I was forced to ask everything from my husband,” narrates Phinini.
“We are happy, because we have started seeing results. But wild animals such as elephants sometimes would break trees where we hang our hives," she explains.
Adding value
The beekeepers have started adding value to their products by riding on the wave of medicinal honey that is gaining traction locally.
“We know the value of traditional medicine, so we mix it with honey and it fetches good price at our local markets. A bottle of honey mixed with medicine goes for up $15 each,” says Phinini.
But their biggest challenge has been destruction of their hives by wild animals. Their villages neighbour national wildlife reserves which expose them to wild animals such elephants who ruin their hives while foraging for leaves.
Poor infrastructure also makes it difficult for them to transport their harvest to nearby markets.
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