Beekeeping training strengthens livelihoods and forest protection in Zambezi
Bees and trees
In Kongola and beyond, the buzz around bees and trees proves how conservation and community development can go hand in hand.
Ellanie Smit
The Namibian Nature Foundation (NNF), together with beekeeping expert Dr Ortwin Aschenborn, recently ran a hands-on beekeeping course in Kongola for members of the Mudumu North Complex in the Zambezi Region.
The two-day training, supported by the Dream Fund/COmON Foundation and the Bengo/Kaza Arise projects, gave participants practical skills in harvesting honey and processing beeswax. A one-day refresher session followed for newly selected beekeepers, where two advanced trainees stepped into trainer roles. Beekeepers from Bwabwata National Park also joined through NNF’s Climate Adaptation for Protected Areas (CAPA) project, building stronger links between community conservation groups.
The training is part of NNF’s Bees and Trees project, which encourages communities to earn income from non-timber forest products like honey instead of cutting down trees. To support them, participants were given protective gear and smokers for safe harvesting, along with access to Kongola’s Honey Hub – a facility where honey can be bottled and beeswax turned into high-value products such as candles, lotion and foundation strips.
Building on the beginner sessions held last year, this training showed clear progress. Trainees successfully harvested honey from three hives and processed it using the Honey Hub’s extractor, while more experienced beekeepers led demonstrations. This “train-the-trainer” approach ensures that skills spread widely and communities become increasingly self-reliant.
According to NNF, beekeeping offers a sustainable alternative to forest exploitation, helping reduce pressure on ecosystems while creating new livelihood opportunities.
The Namibian Nature Foundation (NNF), together with beekeeping expert Dr Ortwin Aschenborn, recently ran a hands-on beekeeping course in Kongola for members of the Mudumu North Complex in the Zambezi Region.
The two-day training, supported by the Dream Fund/COmON Foundation and the Bengo/Kaza Arise projects, gave participants practical skills in harvesting honey and processing beeswax. A one-day refresher session followed for newly selected beekeepers, where two advanced trainees stepped into trainer roles. Beekeepers from Bwabwata National Park also joined through NNF’s Climate Adaptation for Protected Areas (CAPA) project, building stronger links between community conservation groups.
The training is part of NNF’s Bees and Trees project, which encourages communities to earn income from non-timber forest products like honey instead of cutting down trees. To support them, participants were given protective gear and smokers for safe harvesting, along with access to Kongola’s Honey Hub – a facility where honey can be bottled and beeswax turned into high-value products such as candles, lotion and foundation strips.
Building on the beginner sessions held last year, this training showed clear progress. Trainees successfully harvested honey from three hives and processed it using the Honey Hub’s extractor, while more experienced beekeepers led demonstrations. This “train-the-trainer” approach ensures that skills spread widely and communities become increasingly self-reliant.
According to NNF, beekeeping offers a sustainable alternative to forest exploitation, helping reduce pressure on ecosystems while creating new livelihood opportunities.
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