The Lake Bogoria region has been identified as one of the world?s highest conservation priorities. The area is renowned for its rich biodiversity and endemic flora and fauna; however unique habitats face multiple immediate threats including invasive species (Prosopis juliflora), land clearance and deforestation for charcoal burning. The local honeybees Apis mellifera and Apis dorsta are some of the county?s endemic species that are at risk from habitat loss. One of the major species of Acacia (Acacia mellifera) found in the area is among the most threatened tree species in the county. This poses a danger to the critical roles played by bees in this area as the tree species is preferred forage for bees.
Baringo County is one of the most impoverished and least developed counties in the Kenya, with the human poverty index of 30.6 per cent compared to the national level of 29 per cent. In Marigat sub-county, the spiral of poverty and associated environmental degradation is seen in its most extreme form. Chronic poverty and food insecurity is associated with limited livelihood diversification as repeated drought and insecurity are common in the harsh climate. With limited alternative livelihood opportunities, communities are forced to rely on unsustainable practices such as charcoal burning leading to habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity. As a non-time intensive, non-labour intensive, agricultural activity that compliments existing farming techniques used by communities, beekeeping has the potential to increase household incomes by 50%. Beekeeping not only creates a valuable income stream, which reduces pressure on natural resources, it also actively supports biodiversity in a county where 75% of flora and fauna is dependent on insect pollination for survival.
Beekeeping is emerging as a very successful agricultural practice for local people in rural areas of less developed countries. Not only does the practice of beekeeping have intrinsic health benefits through providing a food source of great nutritional value which is lacking in rural areas, but beekeeping requires few inputs and capitalizes on a ready supply of pollen. In rural areas there is almost an unlimited source of pollen and bees aid greatly in the natural cross pollination of local crops. Health benefits for local people reliant on small agriculture to provide food are centred around the enriching qualities of honey in a diet which is usually dependent upon staple foods such as bananas and maize. There is a major potential for grassroots poverty alleviation and empowerment of local people through the practice of beekeeping.
In the LBL women and youth have been mostly excluded from beekeeping. Women have been left out especially because of culturally unacceptable activities such as climbing trees for harvesting honey. Modern, intermediate technology techniques which are gender-neutral, make beekeeping accessible to women and the youth.
More importantly, by engaging in improved beekeeping, women also help in preserving the bees and by extension biodiversity because these social insects help to ensure pollination of crops. Beekeeping is not labour intensive and is gender sensitive, making it suitable for women to get actively involved. This in turn increases income, the wellbeing of the family as well as the self-esteem of women and youth. In Kenya, honey is highly prized because it is energy-rich and has medicinal values. From the production and sale of high quality honey, it is possible for families to send their children to school, pay for healthcare, food and clothing. Beeswax is an important raw ingredient of candles, body creams, honey drinks, ointments, lotions, soaps and polishes if processed further through value addition
The urgent need to enhance beekeepers? capacity in Lake Bogoria Landscape is heightened by the recent increase in unsustainable livelihoods activities such as land clearing and deforestation for charcoal burning. Throughout LBL, women are typically restricted from accessing income-generative activities as a result of domestic responsibilities, cultural expectations and a lack of earning opportunities. As an activity that can be based near the home, generating maximum profits with a minimum investment of time, beekeeping provides an excellent opportunity for women to redress this imbalance. While bee foraging techniques have always been somewhat a tradition in LBL, there exists beekeeping methods that are new to the community and fit with traditional domestic roles for women, such as subsistence agriculture. The project envisages that that female beekeepers can take on responsibilities without disrupting traditional roles; particularly if women are supported in learning domestic bee husbandry techniques.
The project will be implemented in the semi-arid land in East Africa, Kenya, Rift Valley Province, Baringo County, Baringo South sub-county, Ilchamus Ward, , Ilchamus Location , Kailer sub-Location. The project will cover several villages including Noosalapan, Nasira Ndepe, Abori, Iti and Kailer Village. The project location is occupied by two communities namely Ilchamus and Indoroi which are subtribes of Masaai and Kalenjin respectively.