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DEVELOPING THE UGANDA APICULTURAL INDUSTRY
The intent of this web page is to seek support and financial backing for a development programme that aims to empower individuals/communities to build and develop their own sustainable enterprises in Uganda through beekeeping.
THE COUNTRY'S BRIEFS
According to the Human Development Context of 2001, Uganda has a population of 22.6 million, 44% are living below the poverty line, and 30% are under nourished. Life expectancy in 1999 was 43.2 years, down from 47 in the early 1990s. Maternal mortality is 510 per 100,000 lives births and infant mortality is 83 per 1,000 live births. 33.9% of adults are illiterate.
According to the 2007 State of the World Population Report and the State of Uganda Population Report, officialy launched in Kampala on 27 June 2007 by the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Omara Atubo, the following were reflected on:
Life expectancy now 51.5 years, Urban Population up from 1.7 million in 1991 to 3.7 million in 2007, Only 45% of urban people have access to piped water, 44% of the households expenditure on food, drinks and tobacco, Athird of households own a bicycle, 78% live in their own house, Only 1.6% of households own a car and 5.5% a telephone, Number of orphans rise to 2 million, 60% of universal primary education (UPE) pupils don't complete primary school, and finally 10,000 street children in Uganda.
The figures above give an average picture of the overall problems we are struggling to surmount. But we trust that through your support, our determination and courage will enable us to achieve success.
KIKANDWA RURAL COMMUNITIES DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION
ORGANISATION PROFILE.
Introduction:
Kikandwa Rural Communities Development Organisation is a Non Governmental Organisation registered with government of Uganda (S. 5914/ 6476) under the Non-Governmental Organisations Registration statute, 1989. The organisation was formed mainly to focus on Rural Community people development in various aspects for self empowerment.
Background:
Kikandwa Rural Communities Development Organisation started by a small group of rural people who were then running small income generating activities (SIGA) so as to earn daily income for self sustainability within Kikandwa Village Local Council-1, an area with devastating social and economic implications that include but not limited to lower literacy level, lower employment rate, poor hygienic conditions, increasing poverty, lack of healthy care centers, women and children human rights abuses, and many others.
Kikandwa Rural Communities Development Organisation was formed on 6th July 2000. In Febuary 2006 the group resolved to take a further step in registering their group as a local Non-Governmental Organisation. Furthermore, on 8th Nov. 2006, the registration certificate (NGO Reg. No. S. 5914/6476) was granted to the group under the names of Kikandwa Rural Communities Development Organisation.
Mission:
Kikandwa Rural Communities Development Organisation is a developmental organization which is committed to develop human potential for self empowerment in rural communities through day- to- day applied technologies, active hands-on-learning and Research, and promotion of better agricultural methods for social, economic and educational development.
The organization is dedicated to fight AIDS/ HIV epidemic, human rights abuses and to source and solicit funds for children and youth who can't afford to pay for their educational expenses. The organization is also committed to increase the knowledge on sexual and reproductive healthy and to improve and build new clean water points in rural communities.
Goals and Objectives:
Our goal is to promote empowerment of rural Community people in various areas affecting humanity.
Objectives:
- To strengthen capacity and participation of rural people in Community Development through training in day-to-day applied skills.
- Enable community leadership to partner with Human Right Organisations to promote and protect human rights of rural community people.
- Consolidate links with agencies inside and outside community to boost community resources and to enable employment opportunities.
- Maintain and improve existing programmes of Health, Education and Community Development. For examples AIDS/ HIV awareness, knowledge about sexual and reproductive healthy, and others.
- To encourage and promote new agricultural methods and practices in rural areas for economical, human potential development and to extend micro-enterprise loans to rural communities.
- Promote education of all people and to improve on and build new clean water points in rural communities.
Physical address:
Kikandwa Village Opposite Kikandwa Church of Uganda, Kyampisi Sub-County, Kyagwe County, Mukono District, Uganda.
Contact Information
Postal address : P.O.BOX 494 Kikandwa Village, Mukono
Country : Uganda
Telephone :+256-712-848448, +256-774-456255, +256-782-402099
Email address : kruralcommunitiesdevorg@yahoo.com
New Zealand Counterpart Contact Details:
James Driscoll MBA(Distinction); MSc(Honours) BSc; PGDipMgtSt; PGCertBusRes.
NZAC Limited PO Box 9098, London Street, Hamilton, New Zealand
Email: James@nzac.co.nz
Phone: +64-21-68-1107
James has extensive international consultancy experience in both the public and private sector. He has a background that combines analytical science, business management, investigation, and systems design. His advisory roles with organisations have been in sustainable systemic design (strategic and process), project implementation, and system/business process review.
Target Groups:
Rural Communities, women groups, youth and children groups, educational groups, human rights groups, healthy and sanitation groups, plus all organisations with similar goals and objectives
Brief Description of KIRUCODO's past and present activities:
1) Sensitization workshop on modern beekeeping took place on 4th Feb to 10th Feb 2007 at Kikandwa Village and surrounding area. It was funded by Kikandwa Rural Communities Development Organisation (KIRUCODO) and Bees For Development Organisation (info@beesfordevelopment.org Tel: +44(0) 16007 13648) provided the training posters. This exercise attracted many people and women being the majority as they contribute greatly to the rural population. This project is on its implementation stage and a proposal has been submitted to IFAD in Rome-Italy for possible funding. Currently the Organisation is running a beekeeping demonstration program in Kikandwa Village.
2) Sensitization workshop on Gender, sanitation, and other policy monitoring and evaluation took place on 21st Jan-24th Jan 2007 at Kikandwa and surrounding villages. Funded by KIRUCODO, Kikandwa Local Council One and training materials were provided by Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development P.O.BOX 7136, Kampala-Uganda, Tel: 256-41-251401/ 257865/ 256374 E-Mail: mglsd@swiftuganda.com.
3) Training workshop on proper storage techniques of grains took place on 19th November 2006. Funded by KIRUCODO and Kikandwa Local Council One and CTA (cta@cta.int, www.cta.int provided the training text book)
Networking Organisation:
CTA, P.O.BOX 380, 6700 AJ Wageningen, The Netherlands Tel: 31 (0) 317-467100 Provides us with Agricultural publications.;
Bees For Development, Troy, Momouth, NP25 4AB, UK Tel: +44 (0) 16007 13648 E-Mail: info@beesfordevelopment.org Provides us with Journals and bee keeping training posters and information.;
Tear Fund, 100 Church Road, Teddington, TW11 8QE, UK E-Mail: footsteps@tearfund.org Provide us with FootStep Magazines on Community Development programs.;
Disabled Women In Development, P.O.BOX 72097 Kisenyi-1 Parish Central Village, 50M off Namirembe Road; Tel: +256-752-399149 KIRUCODO is helping them to bee keeping project to its members.
Women Of Uganda Network (WOUGNET), Plot 53 Kira Road, Kamwokya, Kampala. P.O.BOX 4411 Kampala, Uganda. Tel: +256-41-4532035; E-mail: info@wougnet.org
Women And Children Development Foundation Uganda, P.O.BOX14108 Lubaga-Lule Zone, Mengo Uganda; Tel: +256-712-830513;
E-Mail: wa_cd_fu@yahoo.com
Chain Cottage Industries Development Organisation (CCIDO), P. O. Box 3300 Kampala, Uganda Plot 1781 Old Jinja Road, Rest Gardens, Bweyogerere; Tel: +256-712-894270 , +256-752-552535
E-Mail: chaincottageindustriesdevorg@yahoo
Women Widows and Disabled Association (WOWIDA), P.O.BOX 14258 Mengo, Kampala, Uganda. Tel: +256-772-560401; E-Mail: womenanddisabled@yahoo.co.uk, sarahkayongo@yahoo.co.uk
SITUATION ON THE GROUND:
Kikandwa Rural Communities are situated in Kyampisi Sub-County, Kyagwe County in Mukono District-Uganda. These communities are composed of nine villages (Kikandwa, Ntabwe, Mbaliga, Katete, Lugamba, Kyewanise, Kyetinda, Kasozi, and Migo). They are made of a population of over 30,5000 people of which 75% live below poverty line, i.e. people cannot afford to meet all the basic needs of life and live on less than a dollar per day. The main activity of the inhabitants is agriculture on a small scale - just for producing household food consumption and there is little surplus for selling.
Kikandwa Rural Communities are enriched with fertile soils, good climate, periodical rainfall and sunshine, however higher rate of unemployment, extensive poverty, poor infrastructures such as roads, electricity, unimproved clean water sources and communications are the major factors affecting the development of these rural communities.
Mukono District's Development and education programmes although valuable by nature do not provide for Small scale manufacturing improvement and at the same time have no comprehensive programmes for the underprivileged portion of the population.
Whilst there is dire need for programmes such as the Functional Adult Literacy, Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education in the Country to empower people, one also needs base training that operates at household or grassroots level that provides industrious skills to the underprivileged members of the society. Many people without education are very capable of working, and in fact are extremely motivated to learn and improve themselves in the process.
Justification:
A lack of manufacturing skills is a leading obstacle to development in Mukono District Rural Communities and it hinders the population from actively improving their lives sustainably, especially at community levels. The overall agricultural productivity development rate in Mukono District is still very low and varies depending on the Sub-county geographical locations. The average poverty rate in the District is at 40% whereby the discrepancy of poverty rates between the two axes, abject poverty is commonly experienced in the District's rural areas and relative poverty in urban areas and thus making poverty a Social problem which derives its origin or directly linked to low household productive skills and lack of resources for production.
INTERVENTION STRATEGY:
As one of the developmental strategies to overcome the above mentioned problems in Kikandwa Rural Communities and the rest of Rural Communities in Uganda, KIRUCODO has come up with a number of different innovative developmental strategies which need support for the full implementation.
One of the strategies which is in its ealier stagies of implementation is
DEVELOPING THE UGANDA APICULTURAL INDUSTRY
Apiculture (beekeeping) refers to the farming of honey bees to produce mainly honey.
In Uganda, while beekeeping is not well understood, the marketing and selling of locally produced honey is profitable. The honey is either gathered from wild honey bee colonies or is produced by local beekeepers; typically sold through local markets. However, honey sales are not meeting demand. The industry is limited by production yield. Subsequently, in the last decade, a viable industry has emerged. Local people/farmers have driven this success and the industry continues to attract strong support from all levels within communities.
The project that Kikandwa Rural has set out to initiate is a sustainable approach to assisting the growth of the Uganda honey bee industry. The project would teach people to construct their own honey bee hives and to produce their own protective head veils and clothing, tools, and hive smokers. It is a project that would work with people who have very little resources.
Three main areas/phases of development would be undertaken. The three phases would be:
1. Strategic planning - the development of an industry development strategy for the next three to five years;
2. Beekeeping training - a training the trainers (people trained to train others in beekeeping) programme and the provision of industry workshops on beekeeping: - keeping hives, making equipment including hives, pest and disease awareness and control, and preparing honey and other bee products for sale; and
3. Industry support and extension - on-going training and technical support to:
i. Assist in the fair distribution of beekeeping knowledge - Develop and enhance beekeeping and management skills;
ii. Promote beekeeping as a sustainable form of agriculture leading to the trade of honey and other bee products;
iii. Support and promote beekeeping and the effective distribution of honey bee products for sale;
iv. Assist in the development of manufacturing industries for equipment and consumable items that are required for honey bee management and honey production; and
v. Assist, wherever practical, the education of government officials on the importance of beekeeping as a sustainable income generating practice.
Consequently, the success of the beekeeping programme would be measured by and improved efficiency and sustainability in this form of agriculture - people keeping bees rather than seeking out honey bee colonies in the wild. An increased awareness, understanding and knowledge of beekeeping and the issues relating to the trade of its products on the domestic market. An increased number of people in the region keeping honey bees for generating income. Increased levels of honey available to the domestic market. Government agencies having an understanding of the issues relating to trade of honey, bees and bee products.Aid funding supporting further apiculture projects. Increased food security and the alleviation of poverty. Established networks between New Zealand, participating organisations, and other stakeholders leading to potential trade.
Therefore, industry support and extension - on-going training and technical support to:
- Assist in the fair distribution of beekeeping knowledge - Develop and enhance beekeeping and management skills;
- Promote beekeeping as a sustainable form of agriculture leading to the trade of honey and other bee products;
- Support and promote beekeeping and the effective distribution of honey bee products for sale;
- Assist in the development of manufacturing industries for equipment and consumable items that are required for honey bee management and honey production; and
- Assist, wherever practical, the education of government officials on the importance of beekeeping as a sustainable income generating practice.
THE WORK PLAN FOR WHICH FUNDING IS REQUIRED:
The project would be implemented in Uganda in partnership with the industry and the KIKANDWA RURAL COMMUNITIES DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION. It is proposed that the development process will be spread over a three year period:
Year one: - advisors would establish the strategic plan, establish a demonstration honey bee farm[1], and train the trainers (extension staff).
Year two: - workshops would be run throughout the country. These workshops would utilise the skills of the advisors and the trained extension staff.
Year three: - training and support services would be provided as needed. This support would be focused on increasing government understanding as to how it could support the industry, provide further training to potential farmers and extension staff, and assist with the marketing of bee products.
The project would pull together a systemic framework that can provide the industry with a common structure for different stakeholders to work together to lift the industry to better performance levels. Good progress has been made to date and the industry has been winning in many areas. However, there is a desire to capture this organic growth and provide the industry with a strategic business focus for greater wealth creation for individuals.
On a more practical note, training would see the transfer of further knowledge and skills to help promote increased production yields.
The Key deliverables would be:
1. In consultation with beekeepers, a documented strategic direction for the industry; and
2. Workshops run and meetings held to enable knowledge transfer and skill development in all necessary areas of effective honey production, and hive management.
It is also proposed, while the goal is to train beekeepers and produce and farm new colonies, that enough woodenware to establish new production colonies and equipment would be made available to successfully trained people. This hive equipment would be:
4 x hives including the colonies of honey bees
1 x smoker
1 x head veil
1 x protective coveralls or other clothing
1 x pair of gloves
1 x hive tool
[1] Note: The critical success factor to building hive numbers will be the ability to obtain brood and young bees (frames of young bees) from established colonies. Further, queen bees will need to be produced. This will require the use of established colonies. It is proposed that these colonies be purchased and used to establish a demonstration farm. If this is not practical under Ugandan conditions and with Ugandan honey bees then swarms will need to be caught.
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