CHEMA is supporting traditional beekeepers with training and purchases raw honey from them at fair prices. The honey is then sold to customers directly at the CHEMA offices, as well as exported to Rwanda and Uganda.

The project`s goal is to raise the income of farming communities and enable interested people to generate secondary income. In addition, because the traditional beehives are hung in trees, ensuring that many people maintain beehives is an additional protection against deforestation.

Traditional beekeepers belong in the most cases to the lowest income group. Beekeeping is a neglected field in local society, and there are little possibilities for beekeepers to improve their situation on their own. Through focusing on beekeeping, CHEMA is directly targeting this low-income group and providing them with the means to increase their standard of living. The fact that CHEMA honey has become a common sight throughout the Kagera Region is a tribute to this program`s success.

A Sneak Peek into Our Activities

CHEMA provides trainings and follow-ups to farmers on how to make traditional beehives and manage bee colonies. After the harvest, CHEMA purchases unrefined honey at prices higher than farmer's receive from any other crop grown in the region, including coffee. The honey is processed directly at CHEMA headquarters to maintain hygienic standards and ensure quality.  CHEMA also shows farmers how to produce wine, vaseline, shoe polish and candles from the crude honey they collect.