Starehe Girls’ School Revives Beekeeping Project

This year, bees are all the buzz! Starehe Girls’ School, located in Kenya, is one of many of our sites to start a beekeeping project as a source of honey and income.

Starehe Girls’ School is a boarding school for girls. The school gives many bright, talented students the opportunity to achieve their potential, and prepares them for post-secondary studies. The school also strives to support girls from poor backgrounds who otherwise might not have a chance at getting an education. Chalice sponsorship helps cover tuition for the girls, and our projects and programs help the school run nutrition programs, farming clubs, sports teams, and more.

In the past, Starehe Girls’ School had a beekeeping project that provided honey for the students. The property is surrounded by a beautiful natural forest and river that is perfect for beekeeping! Unfortunately, in 2016, the Kenyan government authorized road construction through the forest, and this affected the bees. Many hives were removed by the government, and the remaining bees were scared off due to the noise. “African honey bee colonies are wild and prefer the serenity of forests and quiet, peaceful environments,” explains Emily Obonyo-Kamau, our International Manager for Kenya.

Fortunately, since late 2018, the bees have slowly made their way back to Starehe. Since the road construction has stopped, the school saw it as a perfect opportunity to revive their beekeeping project! $700 from our Kenya and Tanzania School Farming Project funds was allocated to getting the small beekeeping project back up and running.

Beryl, our regional farming manager, is working with the school on a proposal to raise more funds to expand the project. Beekeeping has a greater potential than just providing honey for the students. With the right investment and research, the school can start selling and exporting honey and beeswax on a large scale to generate significant income to benefit the students!

The students, managers, teachers, and everyone else involved are thrilled to start on this new venture. For anyone who wishes to get involved in this exciting project, we will be sure to share any new updates on the status of their expansion.