Mohamed Abdi Hassan | BORESHA Project
Bee keeping (Apiculture) is a livestock subsector with great potential of contributing to Somalia’s food basket as well as foreign earnings. It is an easy task to venture in as it is cheap, and it also enhances the environment through pollination. Bee keeping is a great way to venture into livestock farming and still earn a decent income from the business while at the same time have enough supply of local honey for your family, as we found out from Mohamed Abdillahi.
Mohamed Abdillahi, who is a 36 years old beekeeping trainee from Dollow, Somalia has a good reason to smile. He used to work in farms as a share cropping farmer as is the practice in the region where the harvested crops will be shared with the farm owners after deduction of all expenses incurred including fuel, ploughing, pesticides and other costs. In this kind of arrangement what they take home is very little and doesn’t cover the basic needs of the household.
Originally Mohamed came from Hamare village 38km away from East of Dollow town where he lived with his old father and wife with 7 children, 3 boys and 4 girls. His eldest child is 13years old while the youngest is one year and three months old. Mohamed started his journey into beekeeping when he attended a beekeeping training conducted by World Vision under the BORESHA project funded by the European Union (EU) through the Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) Programme. “That training really changed my life,” said Mohamed, “not only was I trained, I was also provided with one modern hive and a complete beekeeping start-up kits, with a beekeeping suit, smokers, knives and brushes.”
The results have been amazing to say the least. In the first four months of the training he was able to produce over 20 kilograms of honey. Importantly, although the recurrent droughts in the area had the potential to disrupt his activities, Mohamed managed to sufficiently maintain his honey production. He has demonstrated by word and deed that beekeeping can be profitable and has the potential to provide a sustainable livelihood.
“Beekeeping has been traditionally looked down upon in Somalia, mostly due to the lack of knowledge in the context of a strong nomadic, livestock culture. A good percent of the population relies directly or indirectly on livestock activities. However, most people are unaware that beekeeping and processing of hive products can be just as lucrative. People perceive beekeeping as an unprofitable business but I know as a matter of fact that beekeeping is profitable,” said Mohamed.
Mohamed’s success has allowed him to hire two employees with the main responsibility of marketing the honey and selling it in the local town. Moreover, Mohamed has opened a small shop in Belet Hawa which is run by his father together with two other employees. His hope is to market and sell his honey in the border towns of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. “Beekeeping is not activity for the faint hearted or one that can be ventured in to easily without the right training and mentality. It is a practice that is set in motion by the ebbs and flows of nature, it demands a great deal of energy, patience, understanding and above all adequate knowledge from the keeper. It is truly for those with the passion and a quest for love and knowledge that can succeed in this business, I believe I have these qualities and I am destined to succeed no matter the challenges ahead” says Mohamed.
In addition to keeping bees, Mohamed has put his skills to best use by constructing hives for profit and expanding his production through stocking of many hives, “Initially making beehives was difficult for us, but I am currently constructing all the hives and selling them to other beekeepers” said Mohamed. He is now able to support his father and his family covering the basic needs of his family including paying school fees for his children and medicine. He is very determined to make sure he succeeds and he has his eyes on the ball.