Thriving through hive, building climate resilience with Ukijani

WEDNESDAY July 16, 2024

By Deus Bugaywa

The Tranquility News Correspondent, Tanzania

Aware of women’s potential role in natural resource management, Mwajuma Mohamed is, with support from Helvetas-funded Ukijani, spearheading a beekeeping project to enhance their economic status while protecting the environment.

As a Chairperson of Kilimo Kwanza group at Usure Village in Iramba District, Singida Region, Mwajuma leads 30 members in salvaging more than 40 acres of Kambi ya Fisi Forest whose survival is at risk, thanks to encroaching human activities.

“Beekeeping provides dual benefits, enriching women’s economic status and protecting the much-needed environment for sustainable development of our community,” Mwajuma observes.

Ukijani, a Kiswahili word literally translated as greenish, aims at empowering women to restore their landscapes, become climate resilient, tap into economic opportunities, contribute to their family livelihoods and participate in decision-making machineries of their communities.

The project covers Manyoni, Iramba and Ikungi districts in Singida Region and Bariadi Town Council, Bariadi District Council and Meatu District in Simiyu Region.

Before the beekeeping idea creeped into their minds, says Mwajuma, Ukijani had to convince women to team up in economic groups, giving birth to their platform dubbed Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA).

“The VSLA gave us access to cash for improving our farming practices, expanding production and engaging women of all ages, with Ukijani providing us with a broader access to information and other services,” Mwajuma explains.

VSLA triggered a series of discussions and consultations on viable environment-friendly economic activities to pursue, leading the group to opt for beekeeping and sighting the Kambi ya Fisi Forest as the perfect site for the project.

“We asked the village government leaders to consider providing us with part of the forest, luck enough they gave us a green light to use two acres, as they were also concerned over ongoing deforestation,” the Chairperson says.

Ukijani project also engaged Infoneo Singida Tecno Hive that trained beekeeping groups from Usure, Kikonge and Mbelekese villages in modern-day beekeeping and provided all groups with 60 beehives.

We asked the village government leaders to consider providing us with part of the forest, luck enough they gave us a green light to use two acres, as they were also concerned over ongoing deforestation,” Kilimo Kwanza group Chairperson Mwajuma Mohamed.

Kilimo Kwanza received its share of 20 modern beehives capable of producing up to 30 kilograms of honey per year, 20 kilograms up the honey traditional beehives produce during the same period.

The Kilimo Kwanza’s achievements have roped in more than 10 men in the group.

Frank Chole, Natural Resources Officer for Iramba Distict, assures members while handing over the beehives to Kilimo Kwanza that they will harvest honey, bee pollen, royal jelly, propolis, bee bread, bee soup, beeswax and bee venom.

All what they need to do is changing and fixing traps and collectors at the entrance.

“The beehives have two parts separating the queen from other worker bees as well as honey deposit and colony development chambers,” says Chole, explaining: “The queen bee can feed its children without interfering with the honey supers.”

Shoma Nangale, Ukijani’s Manager, says the project surveyed women’s land within the villages, including Kambi ya Fisi, for them to access key resources.

“We had to focus on inclusive economy where the growth is equitably shared among women and men, the gender gap in the economy is filled and sustainable economy is attained in the project area,” says she, adding:

“Several barriers exclude women from enjoying benefits of economic growth by denying them of assets and access to financial services and income of their own, hence limiting ownership of capital assets.

“So, we had to assist women to officially own land through customary title deed in a bid to generate income while conserving it.”

Ukijani seeks to build a responsible community land governance that provides women with equal access to natural resources, including private land, village land, forest land, non-timber forest products and water.

When women gain land tenure rights, manage and benefit from natural resources, Shona says, the landscape becomes productive, with agroforestry, reforestation and other climate-smart practices halting soil erosion, enhancing food security, diversifying diets and meeting households’ energy needs.

“With the groups and organisations we form, women will access inputs, extension, business development, financial, and environmental services, among others,” she adds.

“The sustainable landscape-based value chains and other economic activities women engage in generate additional income for their families,” says Asha Ramadhan Said, another Kilimo Kwanza group member.

The project, Shoma believes, will support the groups in their diverse land and natural resource management-based economic activities, including creating new value chains and business opportunities to sustain cash flows within their families and communities at largeΩ