Supporting Women in Beekeeping: Ifelodun Beekeepers Farmers Association

The Wild Bee Co. have twinned with the Ifelodun Beekeepers Farmers Association in Iwo, Southwest Nigeria, where 40 women, 12 of who are in wheelchairs, are turning their beekeeping knowledge into a stronger, more sustainable business. 

This is the 3rd project we have successfully helped get started. A portion of every purchase you make goes directly to empowering women beekeepers in East Africa through our partnership with the charity Bees Abroad and donated to projects like these. The previous projects we helped:

1. Uganda: Biringo Women's Beekeepers
2. The Kisembe Women Self Help Group 

As a female beekeeper of colour, it was imperative to me when I started this company to also help other women who face adversity. Through the magnificent hard work at Bees Abroad, we have been able to use this platform to help women become empowered through self-sufficiency. Having spent time in East Africa, I’ve seen firsthand how self-sufficient initiatives in beekeeping can be transformative for women and their communities.

Beekeeping is so much more than producing honey. It is a way to protect pollinators, restore connections with nature and create sustainable livelihoods for communities around the world.

The Wild Bee company believes in supporting projects that create positive change for:

🐝 Pollinators – protecting bees and encouraging sustainable beekeeping practices
🌱 Planet – supporting biodiversity and environmentally conscious livelihoods
🤝 People – helping communities create opportunities, confidence and long-term change

Rural women often face a swarm of challenges breaking into this field, but with your support, we're giving them the tools to create their own buzz - from equipment and bee suits to training and education.

That is why we are passionate about supporting women-led beekeeping initiatives that help communities build skills, create income opportunities, and protect the vital role bees play in our ecosystems. 

Every project tells a story. It represents teamwork, patience, care and a commitment to protecting the natural world.

Empowering women through sustainable beekeeping

This is a three-year project focused on upskilling local farmers in modern beekeeping methods while focusing on the inclusivity of women in the beekeeping activities too. These women collectively manage the apiary together, meeting regularly and selling honey locally. The next step is to help them grow their skills, improve their production methods develop beekeeping into a reliable source of income.

Through training and support, the women are learning more about:

• How healthy bee colonies work

• Managing and caring for hives

• Harvesting and processing honey safely

• Creating products beyond honey, including soaps, creams, candles and polish

• Building a sustainable beekeeping business for the future

This kind of support is powerful because these projects have a long term impact as they progressively build skills, confidence, and independence that can continue for generations.

These incredible women get the chance to gain economic independence and generate a self-sufficient income. It will empower them to become self-sustainable entrepreneurs and leaders through the skilful craft of beekeeping. This not only boosts status in the community, but also allows them to focus on what matters most - providing for their families with food, security, medicine and education, all while making a positive impact on the environment.

Long-term impact 

Over several years, the women will continue developing their beekeeping skills, building modern hives, producing equipment, managing colonies and expanding into new bee-related products.

Many of the women already bring valuable skills such as carpentry and tailoring, showing that local knowledge and existing abilities can become the foundation for thriving sustainable businesses.

This is the type of change we love to support: projects that respect communities, encourage independence, and create solutions that work with nature rather than against it.

Supporting a sweeter future

The future of beekeeping in East Africa depends on education, conservation and communities working together. By investing in women-led beekeeping initiatives, we can help create a world where people and pollinators flourish side by side.

We are so grateful for this opportunity to support this project. We will follow their progress from the first classroom session to the first harvest and the years beyond. As the women grow their skills, The Wild Bee Company will grow alongside them.

To learn more about this project, follow this link. Join us in nurturing a world where beekeeping fosters empowerment, sustainability and community growth!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bees Abroad (@beesabroad)