SUCCESS STORY 1

SUCCESS STORY 1 HwH/AP BEEKEEPING PROJECT TRANSFORMS JAILOSI OUT OF POVERTY Namidiya Jailosi is a middle-aged man. He comes from Makawa village, T/A Nsanama in Machinga District. Jailosi was instrumental in the formation of Makawa Beekeeping Club in 2018, under African Parks. Makawa Club was one of the clubs in Machinga District that benefited from the Langstroth Hives from Honey with Heart under Liwonde National Park. Jailosi through this club, demonstrated his Beekeeping and Leadership skills such that this club became the most outstanding in their area. The Beekeeping Training which Jailosi and other members were given, played a very big role in transforming lives of the club members including Jailosi. Namidiya Jailosi posing a picture with his old house before building a better one for better livelihood. Namidiya Jailosi at his newly built house courtesy of AP Interventions that includes HwH Beekeeping Project. 4 years down the line, Jailos’ life has changed. He has bought land of his own, where part of it is allocated for Beekeeping. He has built a better house through proceeds from honey sales. He is able to send his children to school without looking for bursaries for them. He is also able to diversify at this household, such that he is able to grow different crops as well as raise livestock like goats and chickens. Another interesting thing with Jailosi is that having interacted with AP staff for 5 years now, he has developed very high interest in environmental conservation. He is able to manage trees around his home, as well as being instrumental in influencing people in his area to take part in managing Liwonde National Park. When Jailosi was visited to narrate his side of the story, he had this to say, “Initially I was very blank on Environmental Conservation until AP came in with this Beekeeping Project in my area. With time, the Beekeeping Project gave us income through honey sales while we conserve the environment in our area. In the past years, our source of income was the park through poaching and charcoal making, but now, our income comes from honey sales and other interventions brought in by African Parks, a very good balance up’’. I am very grateful to our Extension Officers from HwH/AP who are able to advise us the importance of taking part in managing the park, while also imparting us with Beekeeping Management skills. Our lives have not remained the same, we are moving forward’, concluded Jailosi.

SUCCESS STORY 2

SUCCESS STORY 2 JAMES MIGRATES FROM POVERTY TO PROSPERITY THROUGH HONEY WITH HEART. In Makwinja Village, GVH Balakasi, T/A Jalasi in Mangochi District, there is a 52-year-old man called Twaibu James. James has been in the village since he was born and his main occupation was subsistence farming. However, due to lack of income for his farming, food insecurity and poverty were the order of the day throughout his life. He tried piece works on top of his subsistence farming to no vail. James posing at the entrance of the Namwera Honey House ready to start his guarding work. James is sometimes accompanied by the Coordinator to the Masuku Control Apiary for Hive Inspections and Management. In 2018, James joined a club called Atupele Beekeeping Club. He was elected secretary of the club due to his literacy level and hardworking spirit. James played a very big role in Hive Management, under his club. He was the most outstanding Beekeeper not only at his club but also throughout the area. He is a very courageous man in as far as Hive Inspections, handling bees and all the Hive Management skills are concerned. Atupele club became the best club in terms of Honey Harvest from the word go, all under the mentorship of James. In 2020, the Namwera Honey House wanted to hire a Guard. One of the attributes for the Honey House Guard was Beekeeping knowledge as it was felt, the recruited Guard may at some point be needed to help in Honey related issues. James applied for the job, underwent interviews and was successful. This now meant that James who was initially just a member of a Beekeeping Club, has now been hired by Honey with Heart as a Guard. Since joining HwH, James’ life has transformed. He is economically stable, since he gets a salary on top of his efforts in honey harvests at his club. James has been able to build a new house, is able to pay school fees for his children. Above all, the food insecurity and poverty at his family is a thing of the past, courtesy of the HwH Beekeeping Project. Asked to comment on his life transformation, James had this to say,” I am very grateful to HwH. If it was not for this Project, I could have been in poverty for my entire life. Today I am able to harvest honey and sell to AP, and above that, I managed to get employment through my hardwork as a Beekeeper. I am sure, if I was not practicing Beekeeping, I wouldn’t have gotten this chance of being employed, “said James. “I pray that this HwH Project continues, so that these benefits can continue to transform our lives. I am very grateful to African Parks in general and Honey with Heart in particular for this wonderful project “, concluded James.

SUCCESS STORY 3

SUCCESS STORY 3 SIGINALA EXCELS TO ECONOMIC FREEDOM THROUGH BEEKEEPING. Yusuf Siginala, is a 48-year-old Beekeeper from Mmenyanga village, GVH Mmenyanga, T/A Jalasi in Mangochi District. He joined Mmenyanga Beekeeping Club in 2020, under African Parks in Mangochi Forest Reserve. After joining the club, they firstly received 6 Top Bar Hives as a club in 2020 and then received 12 Langstroth Hives in 2021. In 2021, Yusuf, alongside a few other members of his club, were shortlisted to attend an intensive 2 days training that was provided by HwH and African Parks. After that training, Yusuf’s attitude towards Beekeeping changed. He saw some hidden treasurer in Beekeeping that needed to be uncovered. Through that training, Yusuf realized he can make more money from Beekeeping by increasing hives for himself apart from the ones they benefited from HwH/AP as a club. Yusuf, in the year 2021 realised just 21 kgs for the entire club, being the first year. However, in 2022, Yusuf purchased 11 Hives for him personally. From these hives, he realised MK 486,000 from honey sales. Yusuf’s focus on Beekeeping went further, such that he purchased some more 20 hives to increase honey harvest in the coming year. As the year 2023 was drawing to an end, Yusuf had harvested and sold to AP 305 kgs of honey realizing over MK1 million in the process. He has become the highest Beekeeper to realize such an amount in both Mangochi Forest Reserve and Liwonde National Park. He currently has 31 Hives purchased from money from honey sales and his future in the Beekeeping Enterprise looks very bright. Siginala standing on his Club’s Langstroth Hives in Mmenyanga Village, T/A Jalasi in Mangochi District. Siginala showing off his motorcycle bought with proceeds from Honey Sales, coutesy of HwH Beekeeping Project. After visiting him to learn more about his successes, he had this to say,” All the years I have been on earth, I didn’t know there is money in Beekeeping. It was until the HwH Project came to our area that I realised there is hidden treasure in Beekeeping. The training I attended at the Namwera Honey House in Mangochi opened my eyes. The project gave us starter pack hives, and after realizing the benefits, I thought of not depending on AP alone, I thought of adding my hives in order to increase my honey harvests. It has worked for me and my future looks bright. For the first time in my life, I was able to have MK1million at one goal. I am very excited and very thankful to HwH and African Parks,’’ said Yusuf. ‘’My economic life has changed completely. I have bought a motorcycle and I plan to open a shop, to improve my livelihood. Currently school fees to my kids is no longer a hustle’’, concluded Yusuf Siginala.

SUCCESS STORY 4

SUCCESS STORY 4 McCOMIC’S RESILIENCE IN BEEKEEPING TURNS HIM TO ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE In Balakasi Village, T/A Jalasi in Mangochi District, there is one McComic Mthyola Phiri who has climbed the economic rader through Beekeeping. Phiri, alongside other members formed Lingamasa Beekeeping Club in 2018. They received 36 Langstroth Hives which raised their expectations as a club. However, 2 years later, the club still had nothing to show, due to several factors, with the major factor being vandalism and theft. Their hives, during harvesting periods were being vandalized and honey stolen. This led to most of the members being discouraged from continuing with the program. It is for this reason that McComic stood out as a hero in the club, with his “never give up” attitude. He took it upon himself with just 2 other members to still push for repairs of the vandalized hives in order to push on. McComic also joined the Extension Staff including the Project Coordinator to encourage the club members not to give up. These efforts bore fruits as from 2021 season, Lingamasa Club started harvesting and selling honey to African Parks. In 2022, their honey sales increased by 60% from 97 kgs to 144kgs. This encouraged the members to work even harder to realize more income from honey. As for McComic, he had to purchase some more 6 personal hives from his share. As already with high interest in Beekeeping, Mccomic managed his hives very well and constantly sought technical advice from the HwH/AP Extension team. In 2023 season, Lingamasa club has increased its honey harvest by 81% from 144 kgs to 260 kgs. A total of MK 975,000 was realised as a club. However, McComic also harvested on his own 68 kgs of honey that gave him extra K255,000. Through proceeds from honey sales and farming, in the past 3 years, McComic has built an iron sheets thatched house, as opposed to the grass thatched house he used to live in before the project came in. And recently McComic has bought a new motorcycle for his mobility, as opposed to the bicycle which he was using before the HWH Project came in. Mc Commic at his house 4 years ago before he started Beekeeping under the AP/HwH Beekeeping Project. Mc Commic at his new house built last year with proceeds from Honey Sales among other AP interventions in Balakasi Village, T/A Jalasi in Mangochi District. Asked to comment on his Beekeeping journey in the past 4 years, McComic had this to say, “It was a journey full of ups and down. Our major enemy was a human being. There were lots of vandalism and theft of our honey. As a club, we should have been somewhere economically not where we are today. However, my life has transformed economically due to this project. I have a good house with good household items. I also have a motorcycle which has solved my mobility challenges. All these, through HwH Project under Liwonde National Park’’, McComic said. He concluded by thanking HwH and African Parks for introducing the Beekeeping Project in his area saying its Extension Staff also contributed highly to his success.

SUCCESS STORY 5

SUCCESS STORY 5 HWH LIWONDE STORY ITEM. HWH LIWONDE FACILITATES MBS TRAINING FOR ITS LEAD BEEKEEPERS. In a bid to strengthen our grip on the full certification HwH Liwonde got from MalawiBureau of Standards, HwH organized a Training in Food Quality and Personal Hygiene. Atotal of 40 Beekeepers were targeted for this course. The MBS Officials facilitated thetraining. This training took place from 24 th to 25 th October, 2024. The 40 Top Lead Beekeepers turnedup at the Liwonde National Park Environmental Education Centre where the training tookplace. 2 Officials from the MBS, Mrs Gertrude Boti Phiri and Mr Samson Mpaso facilitatedthe training. It was a wonderful experience for the Beekeepers who were attending suchtype of training for the first time in their lives, thanks to Honey with Heart. Figure 1 Participants posed for a group photo after concluding the training at Liwonde National Park. The Beekeepers, apart from enjoying the content of the training, also enjoyed the qualityfood and accommodation, that was sponsored by Honey with Heart. Gender wise, 23 menand 17 women attended the training. When asked to comment on the experience after the training, Joyce Saizi, a woman Lead Beekeeper from Nombo Village in Mangochi District was very excited and had this to say: ‘’Iam on cloud nine because of this training. Food Hygiene is paramount as highlighted duringthis training. I have learned a lot of issues and my handling of honey will completely improvefor the better, including my own household food’’, she said. ‘’Apart from the training, Ithank HwH for organizing this training, and also for the hospitality they have showed ushere by giving us quality food as well as quality accommodation’’, concluded Joyce.Figure 1 Participants posed for a group photo after concluding the training at Liwonde National Park. Mr Ajibu Nambweni, another Lead Beekeeper from Chisawa Village in Balaka District wasequally excited with the training and had this to say in a brief interview, ‘’I am very excited.We thank HwH for funding this training. MBS is a very reputable organization in Malawi,getting this type of training from them is not a mean achievement. I feel great’’, concludedMr Nambweni, himself a seasoned Beekeeper courtesy of Honey with Heart.

SUCCESS STORY 6

SUCCESS STORY 6 HONEY WITH HEART BEES FOR DEVELOPMENT. STORIES FROM IDES KAYESA AND BELITA MAKHUWIRA. Ides Kayesa, a talented female beekeeper from Ching’amba, Ntchisi district. “I started beekeeping in 2019 with only three Langstroth beehives, beekeeping has been a game changer for me and my community.” I managed to save MWK90,000 (USD50) from honey sales and bought 20kg of soya beans seed and one bag of fertiliser. My vision is to increase honey production by adding more beehives and build a better house for my family.   My name is Belita Makhuwira from Chilooko, Ntchisi district, the coming of African Parks with beekeeping support is a blessing to my family and entire community. I started beekeeping enterprise in 2019, and started saving money to village bank in 2023 MWK 12,600 (USD7). After earning interests I bought a kid goat at MWK27,000 (USD15). I continued saving from beekeeping enterprise and now I have MWK100,800 (USD56) in my village bank. My dream is to build good house by increasing my production with more hives. Thank you, African Parks, for your support. https://honeywithheart.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/belita_makhuwira_explaining_her_story-720p.mp4

SUCCESS STORY 7

SUCCESS STORY 7 BEES AND BEYOND: HOW LOVENESS GUNDE TRANSFORMED HER LIFE THROUGH BEEKEEPING. In Mphoyo Village, Group village Ching’amba, Kasungu District, Loveness Samale Gunde (44 years) lives near Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve. Her journey is one of resilience and transformation. A mother of five, including three teenagers in secondary school, Loveness took up beekeeping with African Parks Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in 2019—a decision that changed her life. Loveness is a member of a beekeeping club with nine other members in her area. Together, they manage 30 beehives, carefully tending to them, harvesting honey, and sharing the proceeds. In a good year, their club produces 180kg of honey, earning Loveness around MK40,000 ($23) per harvest. However, last year’s extreme heat affected honey production, reducing their harvest. Instead of giving up, Loveness saw an opportunity. Using her savings from honey sales, she invested in piggery, purchasing eight pigs to diversify her income. By the end of the year, she sold two pigs for MK175,000 ($100), which helped her pay her children’s school fees and buy maize for her family during the lean season. Now, her pigs are valued at MK110,000 ($63) each, meaning she could earn over MK1 million ($574) if she sold them all. Loveness dreams of expanding further. “In the next few years, I want to own 15 beehives of my own, renovate my house, and grow my livestock business to include goats. Most importantly, I want to see my children complete their education.” Through beekeeping, Loveness has not only secured a livelihood but also created a futurefilled with possibilities for herself and her family. https://honeywithheart.com/wp-content/uploads/2000/03/loveness_gunde_explaining_her_story-720p.mp4