Abuzz Over Beekeeping Opportunity
Robert lives in rural Liberia. He has been engaged in farming for seven years, but found it hard to support his family, which includes his daughter, who is in high school, and his elderly mother, who lives in his household. During the lean season, he would travel to town to find work, but the pay wasn’t enough for him to stay there.
After joining a local farming group as part of the program, Robert participated in training on vegetable growing, chicken raising and beekeeping. He also received seeds, tools and a beehive to help him get started with the new techniques he’d learned. Now he grows rice in the swamp during the rainy season and vegetables during the dry season. His yields have increased and he has both food and an income. He is able to pay for his daughter’s school fees and his mother’s medicine.
“Life is much better now and I do not go to the town to look for work anymore. I also bought another beehive with the money I earned from the sale of honey and vegetables.”
Looking forward, Robert hopes to purchase additional hives and continue expanding his beekeeping business, noting that he can make a good income from honey sales.
An additional benefit of participating in the farmers group is the grain storehouse, where members can store their harvest for the lean times. “I can store my rice harvest in the group storehouse so I will have it for food for a long time, even in the hunger season,” says Robert “Because of this project, my life is better now. I have more money and more food for my family’s improvement. The same thing is happening for other members of our group.”
Sierra Leone Liberia Youth is led by Presbyterian Church (USA) and local partner Agricultural Missions, West Africa Initiative of Liberia and Village to Village Federation (Sierra Leone)