Anyone fancy a bit of voluntary work in Africa?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Okay folks, before you get all excited, this is me just kicking the post to see what reaction I get.
As most of you know, I am presently out in Southern Africa looking at/managing a beekeeping project, winter is nearing out here so there's only so much teaching I can do, especially with only three good hives to hand and no bee suits to talk of!.
I am thinking of recommending sending a team of people out sometime in their spring/summer (August through to November) to help get them set up, we have Langstroths out here at the moment which I plan to stay with but with a lot of interest in beekeeping especially in the outlying areas (somewhere a few miles further out than the back of beyond) it may make more sense to go for......wait for it..........top bar hives (that's if they accept it as Langs are the norm out here)
This is at the 'pre conceptual' stage at the moment, I haven't even spoken to the organisation that runs a lot of stuff out here (it's a Welsh organisation with strong links to Lesotho) and it's miles from being more than a though.
The most volunteers could hope for is accomodation and travelling costs (I may be wrong) and a good feeling inside.
I'm just wondering if there's any interest in volunteering if the project gets under way as it may have an influence in my project recommendations.Even length of time out here is unknown (couple of weeks to however long you can stay at a guess)

 

[alldigging]

I would absolutely love to. Him indoors might not be very keen on me disappearing for longer than I do off on the allotment already.

 

[Jim Lavie]

Flights, accommodation and food yes I would be for it if this was funded

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

I think it is worth keeping this up near the top though I would not see myself surviving the heat in the summer. What sort of temperatures are the summer average near Lesotho?

 

[HelenX]

Have sent you a PM!

 

[yellowrage 53]

Flights, accommodation and food yes I would be for it if this was funded

me too but has a new bee mite not help

 

[wightbees]

Surly the cost on sending people out could be better spent on equipment .

 

[davnig]

we have Langstroths out here at the moment which I plan to stay with but with a lot of interest in beekeeping especially in the outlying areas (somewhere a few miles further out than the back of beyond) it may make more sense to go for......wait for it..........top bar hives (that's if they accept it as Langs are the norm out here)

There was a talk at last years Spring Convention on Kenyan beekeeping and it compared costs and usage of boxes vs top bar vs log hives. The cost differentials were large. Agreed that management becomes more difficult as you progress down that line but if beekeeping is to become more widespread in rural african communities with little money then costs come into it as more of a factor. I'll try and dig out some notes I took tonight,

 

[Ely]

I've just had to leave uni until September so I may possibly be interested. Absolutely skint though

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Surly the cost on sending people out could be better spent on equipment .

Pretty pointless if they don't know how to use the damned stuff

 

[itma]

Surly the cost on sending people out could be better spent on equipment .

Pretty pointless if they don't know how to use the damned stuff

Silly question perhaps, but how about trying to hook them up with a local-ish commercial beek (or two, or even localish hobby beek associations), on an ongoing basis, even from across the border in RSA?
Doubtless there would be some form of 'charity work' tax breaks available to them, AND it could help deal with the processing and marketing end of things until your gang are in a position to take that in-house?

 

[itma]

...
The most volunteers could hope for is accomodation and travelling costs (I may be wrong) and a good feeling inside. ...

Just wondering whether any airline might care to support the project, by selling a limited number of seats (on off-peak flights) for volunteers at discounted (even "crew") rates?
ISTR that airlines carry each others crew (going on their hols) at extremely low prices. It certainly used to be one of the major perks of working in that industry.

ADDED - seems its still going - buzzwords are "ID90" and ZED http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zonal_Employee_Discount
asking for seats at those sort of rates should reduce the cost to the charity.

 

[oliver90owner]

Just wondering whether any airline might care to support the project, by selling a limited number of seats (on off-peak flights) for volunteers at discounted (even "crew") rates?

Ask ryanair?

 

[mbc]

but if beekeeping is to become more widespread in rural african communities ,

I'd have thought they've been at it a darn sight longer than us.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Silly question perhaps, but how about trying to hook them up with a local-ish commercial beek (or two, ,

Its been tried - doesn't seem to have worked which is why I'm over here trying to fix it - nearest commercial - there are I think two, (maybe three) in the whole country) is a good four hour drive away. I will be meeting two of them in a few weeks

( or even localish hobby beek associations),

There aren't any - the Lesotho version of the BKA is a bit like the BBKA bunch of has beens with no real interest in beekeeping running the whole show, no AGM in the last five years, hardly anyone paying their subscriptions - it is an ex BKA.
In essence, there is no beekeeping in the country, the commercials would probably just scrape into Finmans opinion of British hobbyists - which is why I'm out here and why government ministers and the royal family are taking such an interest in my project.

Just wondering whether any airline might care to support the project, by selling a limited number of seats (on off-peak flights) for volunteers at discounted (even "crew") rates?

We fly out here on special 'charity tickets' there is a specialist travel agency that only arrange flights or aid/charity/missionary types and the airlines give very good deals. no idea of the price but my 'economy' ticket with ASA, unlike the standard economy ticket which allows one 20 kilo bag gave me two 23 kilo bags Organisations like Dolen (who i'm working for) have been doing this for years - flying hundreds of people - mainly teachers out to lesotho so they've got the system covered

I'd have thought they've been at it a darn sight longer than us.

But unfortunately in most of Africa it's akin to skep beekeeping where the bees are killed during harvest
or over here where there was until recently NO beekeeping of any kind and honey was (and still is I found out today) 'hunted' from wild colonies where the nest is set on fire after the honey is taken. That is the biggest problem here, the acquisition of bees, as even the wild ones are few and far between.

 

[itma]

{links with bee farmers}
Its been tried - doesn't seem to have worked which is why I'm over here trying to fix it - nearest commercial - there are I think two, (maybe three) in the whole country) is a good four hour drive away. I will be meeting two of them in a few weeks
{hobby beeks}
There aren't any - the Lesotho version of the BKA is a bit like the BBKA bunch of has beens with no real interest in beekeeping running the whole show, no AGM in the last five years, hardly anyone paying their subscriptions - it is an ex BKA.
In essence, there is no beekeeping in the country, the commercials would probably just scrape into Finmans opinion of British hobbyists - which is why I'm out here and why government ministers and the royal family are taking such an interest in my project.
...

It might be an area of political sensitivity, but (as indicated) I was also wondering whether there might be any interest in "foreign assistance" coming from just the other side of the border, rather than the other hemisphere, 12 hours or so by jet?

Glad to hear that they are 'plugged in' to some sort of concessionary fares scheme - southern africa can be a rather expensive place to fly to.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It might be an area of political sensitivity, but (as indicated) I was also wondering whether there might be any interest in "foreign assistance" coming from just the other side of the border, rather than the other hemisphere, 12 hours or so by jet?

You're right - I'd better pack my bags and bugger off home and leave it to someone else who knows what they're doing

 

[itma]

You're right - I'd better pack my bags and bugger off home and leave it to someone else who knows what they're doing

Now - that isn't what I said, or meant.

I wondered whether you might be able to liaise with, and perhaps get involvement from, those who are closer at hand - and presumably who would have much less logistical difficulty (and fewer other problems) in contributing (for example) additional colonies of 'local' (from 100 miles away?) bees.

 

[Tom Bick]

I wondered whether you might be able to liaise with, and perhaps get involvement from, those who are closer at hand - and presumably who would have much less logistical difficulty (and fewer other problems) in contributing (for example) additional colonies of 'local' (from 100 miles away?) bees.

The problem with this idea itma is transport, communication ect. I suspect like all situations the top boys move around in 4x4’s but the people on the ground have to make do. I like and contribute to Bees For Development they have a great long history in working in countries setting up cooperatives and some great success stories with some moving towards commercial status.

 

[gwenynwr]

PM on its way

gwenynwr