ECONOMIC FREEDOM

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. 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.

RESILIENCE TURNS INTO ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE

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.

HWH FACILITATES TRAINING

HWH LIWONDE FACILITATES MBS TRAINIGN FOR ITS LEAD BEEKEEPERS In a bid to strengthen our grip on the full certification HwH Liwonde got from Malawi Bureau of Standards, HwH organized a Training in Food Quality and Personal Hygiene. A total of 40 Beekeepers were targeted for this course. The MBS Officials facilitated the training. This training took place from 24 th to 25 th October, 2024. The 40 Top Lead Beekeepers turned up at the Liwonde National Park Environmental Education Centre where the training took place. 2 Officials from the MBS, Mrs Gertrude Boti Phiri and Mr Samson Mpaso facilitated the training. It was a wonderful experience for the Beekeepers who were attending such type 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 quality food and accommodation, that was sponsored by Honey with Heart. Gender wise, 23 men and 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: ‘’I am on cloud nine because of this training. Food Hygiene is paramount as highlighted during this training. I have learned a lot of issues and my handling of honey will completely improve for the better, including my own household food’’, she said. ‘’Apart from the training, I thank HwH for organizing this training, and also for the hospitality they have showed us here by giving us quality food as well as quality accommodation’’, concluded Joyce. Mr Ajibu Nambweni, another Lead Beekeeper from Chisawa Village in Balaka District was equally 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’’, conclude Mr Nambweni, himself a seasoned Beekeeper courtesy of Honey with Heart.

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