Sweet side hustle as Maasai group takes up beekeeping
Given that their myths of origin place so much premium on livestock, many assume members of the community cannot contemplate any other economic occupation.
The Maasai are famed the world over for their eclectic, time-honoured culture.
From their unique sartorial code and pastoral lifestyle to their intricate socio-cultural structures, the community is one of the most extensively researched in East Africa.
It is, however, their keen attachment to cattle that cuts to the cultural soul of the maa.
Given that their myths of origin place so much premium on livestock, many assume members of the community cannot contemplate any other economic occupation.
That assumption is, however, being shattered by a group of Maasai youths in Ilngwesi location in the thick Mokogodo forest in Laikipia North, who have taken up bee keeping for a living.
This group is so determined that not even being derided as Dorobo will stop them.
Dorobo refers to a subset of the community that never ventured into pastoralism.
People in the Dorobo sub-group were traditionally considered to be poor and weak.
Hunting and gathering for a livelihood
The Dorobo majored in hunting and gathering for a livelihood. They hunted antelopes and other small animals and gathered fruits in the fringes of forests, where most of them traditionally lived.
The new group of Maa beekeepers first underwent a one-and-a-half year training under what has come to be known as pastoral field school on bee keeping.
Some 70 youths turned up for the field training, which was organised by the national government through Regional Pastoral Livelihoods Resilience (RPLR) and the Laikipia County government's directorate of Livestock Production.
Due to stigma and other factors, however, a majority of the youths dropped out and only 38 completed the training that comprised a single one-hour lesson each day.
Last Wednesday, the group received 80 hives – 40 Kenya Top Bar Hive (KTBH) and 40 of the langstroth type.
The group's team leader, Mr Benson Kataka, said it was not easy to persuade the group to try beekeeping, given that the Maa community has over the years religiously kept cattle, goats, sheep and camels as their only source of livelihood.
Mr Kataka says they managed to secure at least 10 beehives for each homestead as they had been assigned by their trainers.
"We faced a lot of criticism from other members of the community because this is an activity done by the Dorobo. They considered us as weak but they will soon realise that this type of farming can become a second source of livelihood," Mr Kataka says.
Regional Pastoral Livelihoods Resilience (RPLR) Laikipia coordinator Dr Gilbert Mboroki (left) at Mukogodo forest at Ilngwesi location in Laikipia North.
He added that they would do their best to make the project a success.
Ms Teresiah Karmushu said the project would empower women and help them join the decision-making in the traditionally patriarchal community.
"The honey will help me earn money to buy food and pay school fees for my children. I am appealing to my fellow women to form or join groups for the community's economic growth. You need exposure to ways of making money instead of depending entirely on your husband," Ms Karmushu added.
"Over the years, our role as women in the community has been taking care of our husbands’ livestock. We don't have a say when it comes to selling an animal because that decision solely rests with one’s husband. We can now organise ourselves into groups and purchase cattle and later sell them at a good price," she offered.
Ms Agnes Kirobi, another graduate of the programme, says they will focus on value addition so as to tap into the wider honey products’ market.
"Out of this project, we will get honey and produce wax, oil and soap. This will greatly shore up our income as a group," Ms Kirobi says.
RPLR Laikipia County Coordinator Gilbert Mboroki says they injected Sh400,000 into the project. They used the money to buy the beehives and roll out of the field training. Each hive costs Sh5,000.
"The KTBH and langstroth beehives are economical. They will come in handy especially during droughts. When their livestock numbers fall, they will have an alternative source of income through this project. The economic impact will be felt in the entire community," Dr Mboroki said.
Laikipia County Livestock Production Director Pius Butich said: "We are urging our people to venture into honey production because there is a readily available market. We’ll help them get a good market for them. We shall also assist the group to fully explore value addition of the product."
