Hope Ofiriha’s Onura Beekeeping Project will provide microloans, beekeeping training and support, and income to women as well as help combat malnutrition in children.
The Challenge
Many women in the remote village of Onura are single mothers supporting three or more children—their own off-spring, the children of relatives, war orphans, or children separated from their families. Many of these children, like half of children in the area, suffer from malnutrition. Beekeeping is a relatively cheap business for women to run to earn income to feed their families. Bees find their own food (while helping fertilize crops and without over grazing or contributing to deforestation), and a beekeeper does not need to own land to keep bees. Honey and beeswax are also non-perishable, which make them the perfect commodities to sell in a place where there is virtually no refrigeration. Honey can also be eaten in the home.
Our Response
In partnership with Onura Womens Beekeeping Organization (OWBO), our Onura Beekeeping Project will provide 100 women with $50 to $100 microloans to enable them to start 500 beehives using modern equipment and techniques. It will also set up 50 local womens beekeeping organizations, with about 50 members each, to provide new beekeepers with training and support.
Potential Long-Term Impact
Enabling women to band together to boost one another’s income will give them the skills and confidence to transform their lives and their community. It will also help save hundreds of vulnerable children from dying or having their growth stunted from malnutrition.
