By, John Kabambala
"She
was a great support to the family. She used to climb trees to hang beehives on
tall trees, inspect them, and harvest honey something that we women are not
able to do. We loved each other deeply, and although our life was not one of
wealth, it was sufficient, signifying genuine love." This is a painful
memory. "On the day we buried him, that is when I believed that now I am a
widow, and I must stand firm and continue from where my partner left off."
Sarah
Moses Mgombozi is a resident of the Misheni hamlet in Sikonge District, Tabora
Region. She is among the women who have transformed their lives through
beekeeping. Today, as she stands looking at the modern beehives and hives
placed in project areas located more than seventy (70) kilometers from her
village, it is difficult for anyone to imagine that her journey began with a
small opportunity that emerged over twenty (20) years ago. Behind that success
lies a story of courage, grief, hope, and a long struggle that has made her one
of the respected leaders in the beekeeping sector in Sikonge District.
To
properly understand her history in beekeeping, let me first take you back to
2005, after a trader visited their area looking for honey. That event made her
start thinking about the possibility of turning that product into a source of
income for her family. The following year, she officially entered beekeeping
activities with the hope of building a better life through the sector. At that
time, there was not much technology or modern training as there is today, but
she believed that with effort and patience she could achieve her goals. That
belief is what enabled her to begin a journey that would later come to change
her life and that of many other people around her.
In the
early years of her activities, Sarah did not work alone. Together with her
husband, they built a strong partnership in farming and beekeeping activities.
Together, they succeeded in owning a total of seventy-five (75) beehives,
something that demonstrated their commitment to investing in the sector. Her
husband used to manage the hard tasks of climbing trees and inspecting the
hives, while Sarah involved herself in other production and management
activities. Through that work, they were able to support their family and raise
their four children in an environment of love and solidarity. Sarah recalls
that period as one of the best times she has ever experienced in her life,
because the income from honey was sufficient to meet many family needs and gave
them great hope for the future.
However,
life changed suddenly after her husband's death, although it had no connection
to honey harvesting or any activity related to beekeeping. But that event left
Sarah in deep grief while she bore the responsibility of raising her children
and continuing production activities alone. Many people thought she would
abandon beekeeping because of the challenges she was facing, but she decided to
do otherwise. Instead of giving up, she saw the sector as a legacy that she had
built together with her husband and decided to protect it with all her
strength. She became more committed to production activities while ensuring
that her children continued to receive essential needs and education. That
decision was the beginning of a new chapter in her life as a 'heroine widow'
who decided to fight challenges rather than run away from them.
As the
years passed, Sarah began to participate in various beekeeping groups and
received training that helped her improve her skills. Through the Safari
Beekeepers association and other development projects, she gained new knowledge
that enabled her to move away from traditional methods and start using better
production techniques. That training increased her ability to manage beekeeping
activities effectively and built greater confidence in herself as a
businesswoman and community leader. Gradually, she began to be seen as someone
with a significant contribution to the development of the sector within Sikonge
District.
The year
2013 was a new chapter in her life after she established the Miombo group (how
many members, how many men and how many women?). As one of its founders, Sarah
was elected as the secretary of the group and has continued to hold that
position for more than ten years now. Through her leadership, the group has
succeeded in uniting women and men with the goal of improving their lives
through beekeeping, where to date the group has a total of 54 members, 36 men,
7 women, 11 youth, and a total of over 94 beehives. Although there have been
many challenges, Sarah has remained at the forefront to ensure that members
continue to cooperate and learn new production techniques. Her leadership has
built such great trust that the group began to be recognized, trusted, and
respected in various areas of Sikonge.
That
journey was not easy; many members faced challenges of lack of capital,
equipment, and difficult working environments. In the early stages, Sarah had
only a few hives while some members had no production equipment at all. Through
their own contributions, they have been able to make more hives and build
special camps in the bush to manage beekeeping activities. Others gave up along
the way due to the harshness of the environment, but Sarah has continued to
stand firm. She has always believed that great success requires great patience,
and that belief is what kept those who remained moving forward despite all the
challenges they encountered.
The
Result of Effort, Seven Acres of Land, and Education for Children
The
results of her efforts began to show gradually. Through honey income, Sarah was
able to buy seven acres of land which are registered in her name. She also
ensured that all her four children received education up to the point of being
self-reliant and starting their own families. Those achievements were not just
her personal victory, but they were evidence that beekeeping can be a way out
of poverty and a means of building a dignified life. Today, Sarah is cited as
an example of a woman who succeeded in managing herself and moving forward
despite losing her life partner many years ago.
The year
2024 began with new hope after the FAO started implementing a beekeeping
project in the Miombo group. Through that project, members received the most
modern training that they had never received before, as well as modern beehives
aimed at increasing productivity and simplifying work. Unlike in the past,
women can now harvest and manage hives through special enclosures without
having to climb tall trees. For Sarah, that progress is evidence that the
beekeeping sector continues to evolve and become more inclusive for both women
and men. Although they are still waiting to see significant commercial results
from the project, Sarah has great hopes for the future. She believes that the
training, technology, and collaboration with FAO will increase honey production
and improve the lives of all members of her group. Her dream is to see the
Miombo group reach the highest level of success and become a role model for
other groups in Tabora Region and Tanzania as a whole.
However,
the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr. Ashatu Kijaji, emphasized
the importance of protecting pollinators and investing in sustainable
beekeeping methods.
"Bees
are important for our ecosystems, the agricultural sector, and our economy. By
protecting pollinators and investing in sustainable beekeeping, we are not only
conserving biodiversity but also opening opportunities for rural communities to
increase income and improve their livelihoods. Beekeeping demonstrates that
environmental conservation and economic development can go hand in hand,"
said Dr. Kijaji.
The
Assistant Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO) in Tanzania, Charles Tulahi, said that sustainable beekeeping is
a concrete example of how environmental conservation can be a driver of
economic growth when communities are given alternative income-generating
opportunities. "Through sustainable beekeeping, rural households increase
their income, strengthen food security, and protect the forests that humans and
pollinators depend on. In these landscapes, bees help build a future where
communities and the environment can thrive together," said Tulahi.
Turning
Environmental Conservation into Economic Opportunities
For many
generations, communities living near Miombo forests have depended on forests
for food, energy, and income. Today, beekeeping offers alternative
income-generating opportunities that enable citizens to increase their
resilience while conserving the ecosystems that sustain them. Through the
Integrated Landscape Management in Tanzania's Miombo Dry Forests Project
(Miombo Project), communities are receiving modern beekeeping technologies,
training, and market opportunities that help them increase production while
promoting sustainable use of natural resources. This project is being
implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) in partnership with the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS), with
funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF-7).
For many
beekeepers who attended those celebrations, the event was not just a
recognition of their efforts but also a direct investment in their future. In
that regard, Dr. Kijaji handed over 500 modern beehives along with 500 improved
electric stoves to 22 groups of farmers and beekeepers from the districts of
Kaliua, Urambo, Sikonge, and Mlele. That support is part of a broader
empowerment program being implemented through the Miombo Project. The project
has also provided practical training to 176 beekeepers through the Beekeeping
Training Institute (BTI) and supported value addition and market access through
the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TANTRADE).
These
initiatives help beekeepers increase production, improve the quality of their
products, and build productive and resilient businesses. The positive impacts
of sustainable beekeeping are not limited to honey production alone. Since bees
depend on healthy forests to survive and reproduce, beekeeping provides a
direct incentive for communities to conserve and sustainably manage natural
resources. The Miombo Project also promotes the use of clean energy at the
household level through the distribution of improved electric stoves, a step
that helps reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal. This contributes to
slowing down forest degradation, increasing energy efficiency, and reducing
pressure on the important Miombo forests in the country.
Meanwhile,
bees and other pollinators continue to play a significant role in food
production. Through pollination of various agricultural crops, they contribute
to increased crop yields, improved nutrition, and strengthened food security.
Their work is a crucial foundation for maintaining stable ecosystems and
sustainable food production systems. As Tanzania joins other nations around the
world in commemorating World Bee Day, various stakeholders continue to call for
increased investment in pollinator protection, sustainable forest management,
and economic opportunities that are resilient to the impacts of climate change.
The success of sustainable beekeeping projects in the Tabora and Katavi regions
clearly demonstrates how communities can improve their income while conserving
the natural resources that sustain them. Through the Miombo Project, many
households are not only benefiting from honey production and related
businesses, but they are also contributing to broader efforts to restore and
sustainably manage the Miombo forest landscapes in Tanzania.
These
efforts are further strengthened through strategic investments in Sustainable
Forest Management (SFM) and Sustainable Land Management (SLM). Among those
investments is the establishment of a Tree Seed Center in Kaliua District,
Tabora Region, with a value of approximately US$210,000, equivalent to more
than 550 million Tanzanian shillings. Furthermore, the project has facilitated
the rehabilitation of the NAFRAC Tree Seed Center in Shinyanga. These two
centers will assist in the collection, production, and storage of indigenous
tree seeds, provide training on sustainable forest management, and distribute
quality tree seeds for environmental restoration activities in the Western Zone
and the Lake Zone of Tanzania.
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