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6:30 P.M. The lights flicker in the homesteads. Supper scents waft through the air — pilau bubbling in one pot, kuku wa kupaka sizzling in another, wali wa nazi steaming nearby, and mihogo ya nazi roasting just around the corner. Amidst this culinary symphony, a group of bee farmers gathers.
They huddle together, planning how to monitor the hives. Before this, the hives are carefully positioned to attract bees. After 14 days, they are transferred to the apiary — the heart of their beekeeping venture.
Once in the apiary, each hive tells a story of precision and unity. Worker bees, the colony’s tireless backbone, go out daily to gather nectar from flowers, their honey stomachs carrying the sugary bounty back to the hive. There, the nectar is transformed through a remarkable process. Other bees fan their wings to evaporate moisture, creating golden honey, each honeycomb cell sealed with wax to preserve its perfection.
The queen — a singular, fertile monarch — maintains the colony’s harmony. Her pheromones keep her subjects unified and purposeful. She is surrounded by drone bees, steadfast producers, and worker bees whose stingers defend the colony, creating a powerful yet unified balance.
During the monitoring, the farmers gear up and slip into their astronaut-like attire: bright white suits, yellow gloves, sturdy boots, and protective headgear with fine netting to ward off bee stings. A few prepare the smokers with a tool essential for calming the bees. Smoke, when gently wafted into the hives, unsettles the bees just enough to make them less aggressive, allowing the farmers to work safely.
The project is funded by the Livelihood Impact Fund and implemented by COMRED.
