Stroud Rotary Club

RI Matching Grant obtained March 2007

Provide one-off finance for a project to enable poor Kenyan farmers to diversify into bee-keeping.

Partners

Rotary Club of Nairobi  (Mike Eldon)

Cura Village community  (Daniel Kimenyi)

HoneyCare Africa

Details

Stroud Rotary is providing funds which, when doubled by District funds and  a Matching Grant from Rotary international, will finance the training and equipping of needy people to become bee-keepers.  Beehives, bee-keeping equipment and 3 days training would cost approximately £250 per farmer.

The amount  allocated is £10000.  This figure is chosen

(a) because it represents the sum raised for Stroud Rotary's previous failed honey project in Zimbabwe

(b) with additional fund-raising it is affordable by the Club on the timescale envisaged and

(c) it will create a worthwhile project which will justify the work and time put in by all concerned.  Given a successful application for District and Foundation matching funds, it will be possible to finance an initial 40 farmers. 

The project will be undertaken under the supervision of Mike Eldon, Past President of the Rotary Club of Nairobi, in partnership with Cura Village community and an organisation called HoneyCare Africa.  HoneyCare train the farmers, manufacture the hives, collect the honey, process and market it.

Honey Care Africa is an innovative, rapidly expanding Kenyan social enterprise established expressly to increase the income of rural farmers.To date, Honey Care has doubled the income of several thousand small scale farmers through its "Money for Honey" program, which trains them in commercial beekeeping and then buys their honey at a guaranteed price. Honey Care is a Fairtrade organisation and has won International awards, including a prestigious United Nations Sustainable Development award.  

See www.honeycareafrica.com

The hives are not given free to the farmers – when they start producing honey an agreed percentage of the cash payableis deducted as loan repayment, until the hive is paid for.  So our finance will form a revolving fund and will allow the project to be extended to further farmers. 

Advantages of project

·        Based on personal contacts of Jim Hutton in Kenya, allowing close supervision.

·        Makes a visible difference to identifiable individuals.

·        Is sustainable without further finance.

·        Is within the means of our Club, and releases District & Rotary matching funds.