By Gilbert Azeem Tiroog
Navrongo (U/E), Sep. 12, GNA – An initiative to empower women and youth through beekeeping and sustainable farming has been launched in Navrongo, with the aim of transforming rural livelihoods and tackling poverty.
The project dubbed: “Women in Apiculture”, being implemented by The Honey Palace Africa Ltd in partnership with GIZ Ghana under its Invest for Jobs programme.
The project seeks to train 200 women and youth in modern beekeeping and complementary farming of sesame, soybeans, okra, and tomatoes.
Mr Gideon Awelana Buluse, the Chief Executive Officer of Honey Palace Africa Ltd, addressing stakeholders during the launch in Navrongo, said the intervention was designed to provide year-round income for rural families, particularly in the Kassena-Nankana East Municipality and the Kassena Nankana West district of the Upper East Region and the Sissala East and West districts in the Upper West Region.
“We are intentional about tackling rural poverty. Many households survive on as little as GH¢1,000 a year. With beekeeping, families can generate steady income all year round, instead of being idle for eight or nine months,” he said.
Mr Buluse noted that under the project, beneficiaries already received 1,000 Kenya Top Bar hives, complete beekeeping toolkits, protective suits, and harvesting equipment.
He revealed that the 1,000 Kenya Top Bar hives cost GH¢1.2 million.
Each hive, he explained, had the potential to produce up to 30 litres of honey every six months, translating to about 30 metric tons of honey annually across the project sites.
He added that Honey Palace, established in 2021, would continue to support beneficiaries for the next 10 years by expanding the number of hives, providing technical support, and linking farmers to sustainable markets.
“It is also interesting to note that 60 per cent of these beneficiaries are women because they are the vulnerable and mostly without access to land compared to men,” he added.
Ms. Eunice Agyepong, Component Head of Invest for Jobs at GIZ Ghana, in her remarks, underscored the importance of the initiative to rural women.
“This project is not only about creating jobs. It is about building resilience and strengthening food security in communities that remain vulnerable to climate change and market fluctuations,” she said.
She encouraged beneficiaries to take good care of the equipment and apply the skills acquired to build successful enterprises.
Mr Stephen Akurugo Aeke, the District Chief Executive for Kassena-Nankana West described the project as a “game-changer” for rural livelihoods.
He stressed that sesame farming and apiculture were environmentally friendly and economically viable ventures that could improve household incomes while also contributing to biodiversity and climate change resilience.
“Empowering women in apiculture and sustainable farming is not a matter of choice but of necessity. When we equip women with knowledge, resources, and opportunities, we are investing in the future of our families, our communities, and our nation,” the DCE emphasised.
Madam Gladys Afagachie, one of the beneficiaries, expressed her excitement about the opportunity.
“This project has given me hope. With the training and the hive, I received, I can now do something meaningful for myself and my family. As women, we often depend on our husbands or relatives, but with beekeeping I believe I can earn my own income and even support my children’s education,” she said.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah