HONEY WITH HEARTS 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

LIFE TRANSFORMATION BY BEEKEEPING

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 future filled with possibilities for herself and her family. https://honeywithheart.com/wp-content/uploads/2000/03/loveness_gunde_explaining_her_story-720p.mp4