Working with bees
To date more than 400 people have been trained and are registered with AHB.
BEES are a crucial component in agriculture.
They are pollinating agents of many crops, but they are also seen as a problem when their hives are robbed by persons wearing no protection or who do not understand bees’ social structure.
Hopefully this negative perception will change thanks to free training workshops being presented by African Honey Bee (AHB) in northern Zululand.
Over the last 10 years, AHB founder Guy Stubbs has been researching, testing and implementing beekeeper development projects in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
To date more than 400 people have been trained and are registered with AHB.
Of these, 120 are now actively beekeeping and around 50 are established, family-owned beekeeping businesses supplying honey to AHB.
This northern Zululand project is funded by the government of Flanders through the Industrial Development Corporation.
Sappi has commissioned the training in KwaMbonambi communities
Training
Communities in the areas listed below are invited to attend the free workshops where participants will learn how to farm with honeybees, thereby earning extra income for their families.
They will also be taught how to work with bees in a way that will not start uncontrolled fires and in a safe way in which they will not be attacked or stung by bees.
A market for the honey is also guaranteed if the product is of a high quality.
Participants must bring their ID books, a Bible (if they have one), at least two litres of water each day, sufficient food for two teas and a wholesome lunch, a wide-brimmed hat, one pair of old jeans, one large long sleeve T-shirt and one metre of mosquito netting/black shade cloth/kitchen net curtains or similar.
Tools needed to carry out the practical classes include a sewing needle and a roll of sewing cotton, scissors for cutting material, a small tin (the size of a 860 ml wax polish tin or a one litre paint tin), two metres of bailing wire, a piece of flatbar steel (roughly 30mm x 4mm x 300mm), pliers, hammer and stationary to write notes on.
Training starts at 8am and finishes at 4pm each day.
Training schedule
11, 12, 13 April – Malalaphezulu Hall and Sokhulu Tribal Authority Hall at Sokhulu
14-15 April – Inkunzimbomvu Hall in Mbonambi
16 April – Slovo, K16 and Pennycook villages
For more information contact William Mavuso on 072 3743416.
