Backyard Stingless Beekeeping

Most of the threats recorded are mainly human induced. Forest fire (63%), honey hunting (26%) and logging for timber (10%) are the dominant threats to stingless bees in Tanzania. Together with other factors, may collectively negatively increase the threats to these endangered species around African continent and the whole World.

Very few farmers keep stingless bees in Tanzania. However, most of stingless bee colonies are destructed by illegal local honey hunters, bush fires, insecticides and pesticides from local farmers also their products are destructively harvested from feral colonies and poorly processed and parked for human consumptions. In spite of the cultural, socio-economic and ecological roles played by stingless bees in Tanzania, they have been poorly managed and conserved for the future generation  

This project aims at establishing 100 stingless beehives on my backyard area with a total area of 75X35 meters. These hives will be used as a platform for the promotion of the cultural, socio-economic and ecological roles played by stingless bees in Tanzania and will be used as a training platform for youth and women and also will be a source of colonies for supporting other  backyard stingless beekeepers. Also 1% of the produced honey will be distributed to old people, chronic-ill persons, pregnant and lactating women and children under 5.

Also, the project will help the rest of the community in different ways including;
• Source of knowledge and skills as a demo project
• Source of food-Honeybee
• Source of information/data for underground researchers
• Domestic and international tourism attraction
• Improved pollination among different species of plants both wild and domestic
• Improved youth and women income through selling honey, beeswax and pollen
• Enhanced ecology around the area of project intervention hence improved livelihoods

In turn, this project with its integrated impacts towards community through women and Youth, will contribute on climate changes mitigation and adaptation measures by improving the ecology for improved biodiversity and ecosystem.

The solution will  directly serve women and youth as partners in the project implementation while the elders, chronic-ill, pregnant and lactating women and children under 5 will benefit from the project results/  products by sharing 1% of the total project income/produce either through honey distribution  or/and income generated from selling other products like beeswax.

Also, the project will impact the rest of the community in different ways including;

• Source of knowledge and skills as a demo project
• Source of food-Honeybee
• Source of information/data for underground researchers
• Domestic and international tourism attraction for income generation
• Improved pollination among different species of plants both wild and domestic
• Improved youth and women income through selling honey, beeswax and pollen
• Enhanced ecology around the area of project intervention hence improved livelihoods

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) are major pollinators of many wild and cultivated plants, and both indigenous and non-indigenous populations use their products for diverse purposes including food, crafts, and medicine.

Creating scalable cultural and socio-economic opportunities for local communities including women and youth through backyard stingless beekeeping hence improving ecology in line with their health, income and skills transformation for the sustainability of project results and the future generation

Pollinators strongly influence ecological relationships, ecosystem conservation and stability, genetic variation in the plant community, floral diversity, specialization and evolution. Bees play an important, but little recognized role in most terrestrial ecosystems where there is green vegetation cover for at least 3 to 4 months each year. In tropical forests, savannah woodlands, mangrove, and in temperate deciduous forests, many species of plants and animals would not survive if bees were missing. This is because the production of seeds, nuts, berries and fruits are highly dependent on insect pollination, and among the pollinating insects, bees are the major pollinators. In rain forests, especially in high mountain forests where it is too cold for most bees, other pollinators like bats and birds play a greater role in plant pollination. In farmed areas, bees are needed for the pollination of many cultivated crops, and for maintaining biodiversity in ‘islands’ of non-cultivated areas. The main role of bees in the different ecosystems is their pollination work. Other animal species are connected with bees: either because they eat the brood or honey, pollen or wax, because they are parasitic to the bees, or simply because they live within the bees nest.

The Uluguru mountain forest (UMF) lies immediately South of Morogoro town in Tanzania between latitude 7° and 8° S and longitude 37° -38° E. T. 
The climate of the area is not as favorable as it was in past years when forest cover was greater. Over an area of 527 km2, 60% of the vegetation cover is said to have been lost.
Different socio-economic activities are carried out around the forest: agriculture is mostly carried out at subsistence level to produce both food and cash crops; hunting is also practised by the pastoralists  and the indigenous people. 

This is because the project idea is already defined, clarified, the goal is set and defined, and the root cause is identified and also the action plan is developed, but not financed. With little funds from my personal income, I managed to purchase and hang five stingless beehives and implemented a pilot project of the same innovation, the results were positive and with high rate impact. This pushes me to dig for financial supports in order to extend the project results coverage for benefiting more community members for the sustained ecology and ecosystem

This solution provides a new significant since it is modeled to allow all person with any piece of land and interest in environmental conservation to exercise the same. I t is easier to have your own beehives hang around your houses and within your fruit trees.

This will help in conserving the environment by increasing the pollination activities, decorating your area and attract domestic and nondomestic tourism for income generating, improving the nutrition content of your family members especially children under five, elderly and lactating women.

The innovation will also foster the habit of growing trees around our homes hence allowing other creatures like small birds which will feed from these small stingless bees and also will dwell around those trees to prosper and increase the homestead decoration from their different colors and songs during the sun rise and sunset, hence reduce stress after  long hard working days also increasing soil moisture for other vegetations to prosper.

In addition,  this will also reduce the effects of winds against the buildings, attract rainfall, purify the air we breath and contribute to the reduction of Green House Gases (GHGs) emissions.

Together with all those benefits, this project will encourage youth and children by creating environmental conservation behavior among them  hence build a stable ecology in future.

Currently my solution serves 23 people once funded, it will directly serve 1000 people in a year and will serve not less than 7000 people in five years

Through these funds, the solution will be integrated in both urban and rural areas by reaching both women and youth through different means of communication including digital, audio and printed media.

These 7000 beneficiaries will be those whom are directly reached by the solution implementation and will be reached within the country while more than 300,000 will be reached indirectly.

In order to attain this target, the solution will be participatory by involving local government officials, influential leaders, NGOs and CBOs in all processes of the solution just after signing the contract with you.

This will ensure the sustainability of the solution results even after phasing out the solution operation.

GIOAL: Contributing the improved resilience of ecosystems in the areas adjacent to Mount Uluguru in Morogoro, Tanzania by enhancing backyard stingless beekeeping among community.

INDICATORS:

• Eradicated extreme poverty.
• Universal access to safe and nutritious food
• Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
• Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage
  forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Currently the team comprises of  4 members including the CEO, Project Manager, An Administrative and Accounting Personnel and one volunteer dealing with Office Assistance

The team is well equipped with a remarkable experience of working in the same field for the average of not less than five years

The Organization is led by a male CEO while a Project Manager and Administrative and Accounting personnel are female plus a male Office assistant

Always decisions are people centered whereby the Board of Directors has all the mandate to decide on any issue concerning the Organizanition  

I want to become a Problem Saver, helping my community through what I have including my skills, knowledge and experience working in Non Governmental Sector for more than 10 years.

We always believe in new knowledge and skills expansion and since our Organization is not well established which is at the process of registration, we need much new knowledge and skills in order to do it better for the better future community. Hence, we partnerships and supports in the areas of  Business model and Technology

Solve Members, NGOs and INGOs (Currently have no specific names)

In my 13 tenure working for Tanganyika Christian Refugee Services in different positions, I have development a remarkable experience in dealing with Refugees and have identified some gaps to help them sustain their lives in  Camps so wish to help improve their livelihoods

By Professional I have a certificate in Primary Education since 200 with the experience of two solid years in teaching practices. If considered, our Organization could think of mainstreaming making STEM education more accessible and equitable for all. 

We believe in inclusivity as the Organization signifies through its name and the staffing that we have 2 males and 2 females.

And as a newly formed Organization, this will be our push forward towards investing in women. Hence wish to participate 

Wish to participate though we are still very young