Mkomazi Self-Help Group based in Njiro in northeastern Tanzania is a beneficiary of this Project. Having undergone the requisite training, members are transforming into commercial beekeeping, which is presented as a viable alternative land-use option.
Before, despite having 500 local beehives, production was limited with honey harvesting happening only once a year, according to the group’s Chairperson Mr. Ramadan Mkomazi. The 20 members now have in place good group management practices with clear rules and regulations. Additionally, they are also well equipped to deal with elephants and other wildlife from Mkomazi National Park that are often dispersed into community lands where they periodically trample and destroy community gardens and crops, having a devastating impact on people’s livelihoods.
The group plans to save sufficient funds to purchase 100 commercial beehives to increase honey production and harvest other by-products, including bee pollen and beeswax. The group members have demonstrated a huge interest in commercial beekeeping to increase their income and promote regenerative agricultural practices through adopting improved practices.