Honey for Haiti
In year 2011, Rotary International Help for Haiti Society approached management of the NGO Haitian Health Foundation (HHF)
and asked if they would be interested in a beekeeping project in the area around the city of Jeremie, Haiti. The Help for Haiti Society, formerly the Help for Haiti Consortium, has had a relationship with the HHF since 2004 primarily supplying flour mills to make Akamil, a source of protein and carbohydrates.
In recent years, beekeepers in Haiti have been slowly making the transition to modern beekeeping equipment by building wooden boxes and frames themselves. Unfortunately, due to lack of knowledge and no tools other than a hand saw and hand planar, they do not have the correct bee spaces inside, nor do they have uniform foundation, resulting in a disorganized brood nest that is difficult to manage.
The average yield of a bee colony in Haiti is 15 kilograms per year. The average yield with properly managed modern equipment should be closer to 65 kilograms per year in the same country.
The 20 year plan is to have 1,000 beekeepers managing 10,000 colonies (10 each), employing upwards of 5,000 people, and producing 325 tons of organic moringa honey bringing in excess of $2 million dollars into the economy annually.
The Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise grant will help with the purchase of tools, customs and shipping costs.
To date, the Haiti Honeybee Project has contributed close to $8,000 in beekeeping equipment and facilitated two training sessions for over 30 farmers.
Instructor John Gibeau (on right) is seen here with students at the conclusion of the course.