Mama Nyuki Beekeeping Project for Indigenous Women
Empowering Women through Beekeeping: A Revolutionary Path to Sustainability
Mama Nyuki — a Swahili term that embodies a woman whose livelihood is intricately linked to the survival of her bees. In the context of our project, Mama Nyuki represents not just an individual woman, but a collective force of 5 to 11 indigenous women, mainly from Maasai and Hadzabe communities. These women are empowered through beekeeping, enabling them to sustain their families, pay for education, and live independent lives, all while contributing to the protection of the environment.
Our initiative, “Mimi ni Mama Nyuki” (I am a woman in the bee business), highlights the important role of women in the beekeeping industry. Our motto, “Nyuki ni Biashara” (Bees are Business), emphasizes the value of beekeeping as a sustainable and profitable venture. The slogan “Tunza Nyuki, Tunza Mazingira” (Keep Bees, Keep the Environment) captures the essence of our environmental mission — to safeguard biodiversity and ensure a greener, more sustainable future for all.
Our Approach: A Holistic Beekeeping Business Model
The Mama Nyuki Project offers a comprehensive package that supports indigenous women in building sustainable businesses centered around beekeeping. However, Mama Nyuki is not an end in itself but rather a means to a holistic empowerment of women. Our ultimate goal is to empower women socially, economically, and politically.
We recognize that true empowerment goes beyond financial independence. By focusing on the broader development of women, we ensure that they gain the confidence, skills, and support necessary to make lasting changes in their lives and communities.
To this end, the training modules in Mama Nyuki have been carefully tailored to foster holistic empowerment. Each lesson is designed to equip women with the tools they need not only to succeed in beekeeping and honey production but also to grow in their leadership capabilities, enhance their decision-making power, and strengthen their role in society. These lessons are key to achieving the long-term vision of social, economic, and political empowerment.
- Relevant Training Modules:
- Beekeeping Best Practices & Honey Production: Empowering women with the skills to establish and manage successful beekeeping businesses.
- Honey Products Development: Creating value-added honey products to increase revenue streams.
- Quality and Quantity Improvement: Enhancing the quality of honey and other bee products.
- Products Packaging, Marketing, and Branding: Ensuring that the products meet market demands and are effectively marketed.
- Conservation: Teaching women about the vital role of bees in protecting biodiversity and maintaining healthy ecosystems.
- Gender and Leadership: Empowering women with leadership skills to manage and lead their businesses.
- Human Rights, Women, and Children: Promoting human rights and educating women about their roles in the family and society.
- Technical and Financial Support:
- Tools, Equipment, and Protective Gear: Supplying women with the necessary tools to start and sustain their beekeeping businesses.
- Financing the Beekeeping and Honey Production: Providing the financial support needed to kick-start their businesses.
- Market Linkages: Connecting women with both local and international markets, including hotels, lodges, and supermarkets.
- Mentoring and Technical Backstopping: Ongoing support and guidance throughout their business journey.
Why We Choose to Empower Indigenous Women
Women in the Maasai and Hadzabe communities face systemic challenges: limited access to education, lack of property ownership, and restricted decision-making power in their lives. These communities are largely patriarchal, where girls are often forced into early marriages, and women have little to no political representation.
Beekeeping presents a revolutionary opportunity for these women. Many live near or within conservation areas and forests, which provide the perfect environment for beekeeping. The activity is not only environmentally friendly but is also supported by Tanzania’s legal framework, which allows beekeeping in national parks and protected areas.
By offering women an opportunity to engage in beekeeping, we enable them to become financially independent, create sustainable businesses, and, importantly, contribute to conservation efforts that protect the very ecosystems they rely on.
The Global Honey Market & Tanzania's Potential
Beekeeping is more than just a local business; it is a global industry. The global honey market is expected to reach USD 13.57 billion by 2030, with a 5.2% CAGR from 2022 to 2030. The growing demand for natural, organic products, such as honey, is driving market growth.
In Tanzania, the beekeeping sector has a significant potential to generate income. The country produces an estimated 138,000 tons of honey annually, with an export value of USD 138 million. However, current production levels account for only about 3.5% of the potential, highlighting a huge gap for improvement and market growth.
Beekeeping in Tanzania also plays a critical role in improving biodiversity and supporting crop production through pollination. This activity contributes directly to the economy while mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The Mama Nyuki Business Model
The Mama Nyuki business model is structured around small groups of 5 to 11 women, each group forming a registered cooperative with the local government. These women undergo specialized training in beekeeping practices, honey production, and business management.
After production, Elimu Foundation links these women with local and international markets, including hotels, lodges, and supermarkets. This ensures a sustainable income for these women while promoting environmentally-friendly practices that help preserve Tanzania’s biodiversity.
The Bee and Hive Analogy: Lessons in Leadership and Business
The structure of a beehive offers a powerful analogy for women’s empowerment and business success. Just as the female bees, including the queen, are at the heart of the hive’s operations, women are the driving force behind the growth and success of the Mama Nyuki Project.
Khanyi Mlaba, in her article “5 Things Bees Can Teach Us About Feminism”, highlights the critical role of women as leaders. Like the queen bee, women in the Mama Nyuki Project are at the forefront of every aspect of their business, from production to marketing, demonstrating how women-led communities are the backbone of sustainable businesses.
When it comes to product packaging and branding, we draw inspiration from the queen bee: just as the queen bee is vital to the hive’s success, the quality and marketability of the honey products determine the success of the business. The hive, just like a business, thrives when everyone works together efficiently and effectively.
Supporting Biodiversity and Climate Change Mitigation through Beekeeping
Beekeeping plays a vital role in climate change mitigation. In regions where beekeeping is thriving, vegetation flourishes due to the essential role of bees in pollination. This, in turn, helps lower a country’s CO2 footprint and supports sustainable land use practices.
Investing in beekeeping is not just about business—it’s about protecting the environment. As bees pollinate plants and trees, they help maintain the ecological balance needed to combat climate change.
Supporting Policy and Legal Framework
The Tanzanian government has enacted various laws and policies to promote beekeeping. These include:
- The Beekeeping Act No. 15 (2002), aimed at improving the quality and quantity of bee products.
- The National Forestry Policy (1998), which provides opportunities for beekeepers to operate in forest reserves.
- The Wildlife Policy of Tanzania (1998), which supports beekeeping within Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs).
- The Village Land Act (1999), which allocates land for community-based natural resource management, including beekeeping.
These enabling policies create a conducive environment for beekeepers, especially women from indigenous communities, to develop and scale their businesses. However, challenges like limited access to training, capital, and market information remain. That’s where the Elimu Foundation steps in, bridging these gaps and ensuring that indigenous women can tap into the full potential of beekeeping for business and conservation.
Get Involved
The Mama Nyuki Project is making a tangible difference in the lives of indigenous women, and you can be part of this transformation. Whether you’re a donor, partner, or advocate, your support will help empower women, protect biodiversity, and contribute to a greener, more sustainable future.
Join us in supporting Mama Nyuki and helping indigenous women become leaders in the beekeeping business. Together, we can protect the environment, uplift communities, and create lasting change.
Contact Us
Elimu Foundation
www.elimufoundation-tz.org
info@elimufoundation-tz.org