Thanks to a very generous donation from a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV), we have been able to purchase two beehives, along with all of the equipment needed to get them hung properly, and donate them to Bambino Primary School in Lilongwe, Malawi. This school approached us earlier this year with concerns about bees swarming around their basketball hoops. They felt that if they provided hives for the bees it may keep them from causing problems near the school children. This school is located near a wetland (dambo) area and so the hives will be hung on the outside boundary of school grounds, but in an area where the honey production should be very high. This morning we had a chance to go to the school and address the students on how hives work, the importance of bees, how to treat them, and why beekeeping is an important part of sustainable ecological solutions.
With additional money from this donation we will also be sourcing a beekeeping suit for the school, along with gloves and a smoker, so that they will have what they need for future honey harvests. The headmaster of Bambino informed us that the school has an Environmental Group who will be deciding what to do with the honey harvests (i.e. selling as a fundraiser, donating to the boarding school, sharing, etc.)
We have an experienced beekeeper, Kondwani, who is helping to hang the hives at the school and who will be periodically checking in to monitor the upkeep and progress of the hives. Good luck Bambino and enjoy the honey!
