Bringing home the honey in South Bethlehem
“This project has added a lot to my life, and I will never leave such a project, even if I am the only one working in beekeeping.” These words were spoken by Hajer Khalid Husain Abu Shaqra, a 38-year-old Palestinian woman living in Marah Ma\'alla located in the southern cluster of the Bethlehem Governorate. A housewife with four children, Hajer and her husband are constantly searching for ways to increase their small income to further support their children.Hajer endeavours to support her children, while her husband works part-time in construction, despite back problems and a visual impairment.
Struggling in the difficult economic situation, worsened by the political situation in the country, including closures enforced by the Israeli army, Hajer and many others like her are seeking solutions. World Vision’s Women Empowerment Project, consisting of small income-generating beekeeping projects to improve the economic situation of poorer women, came as a godsend for Hajer and her family.
This project has added a lot to my life, and I will never leave such a project, even if I am the only one working in beekeeping Having participated in several training courses conducted by various organisations and now working as a volunteer with World Vision’s Bethlehem Area Development Programme office, Hajer seeks to help her family and community as much as she can.
“I like helping my family and other families in my village, even it takes more time and effort,” says Hajer, who is also an active member of World Vision’s steering committee, village committee, and agricultural relief group.
After attending a theoretical course in beekeeping, Hajer encouraged the women of the community to participate in the project. Bethlehem’s southern cluster is considered to be the Bethlehem’s poorest and income-generating projects like these are sorely needed.
The beekeeping project will provide 120 women in nine villages (consisting of 7,820 beneficiaries) in Bethlehem the opportunity to earn an income from honey marketing. The women are taught how to manage their beehives, feed the bees, check for eggs, check queen bee houses, as well as the number of frames, and the presence of diseases.
This could produce an average annual honey production of 10 kilograms, which would represent US$340 of annual income, a much-needed input for so many of the women and their families involved in the project.
And, since beehives, if nurtured and cared for properly, can produce additional beehives, the possibilities for this income-generating project is an exciting prospect for the people of these Bethlehem villages.
Although interesting, beekeeping is not always an easy undertaking. Casualties of work can include frequent bee stings. Furthermore, in Hajer’s village of Marah Ma’alla, where the majority of residents are Muslim, the white one-piece trouser suit worn by beekeepers initially posed a challenge. Women were not comfortable leaving their homes wearing something other than their traditional long-sleeved long dresses, but after some time, attitudes changed and work continued at the bee farms.
“The beekeeping needs more effort, and it sometimes needs effort that the women can’t tolerate,” Hajer says, but she and the other women of the community are forging on, bee stings and all, because they believe in the benefit of the project for themselves as well as their families.
The women also contribute a small amount of their own money to the project. This helps foster the feeling of empowerment and ownership among the women. Hajer explains, “The amount of money is not big but has a big influence among the women; they feel that the project is their own, and myself and the other women are committed to the project and try hard to succeed.”
I like helping my family and other families in my village, even it takes more time and effort Having learned about management, economic and marketing issues, Hajer and the other women are grasping these tools and applying them in their own lives. Feeling more than ever like a valuable part of their community, Hajer and the women of her village feel their relationships have grown and blossomed in their shared experience with the beekeeping.
“I believe,” says Hajer confidently, “that this project will have an increase return and production if women continue working together for a long time with it.”
Training women in new skills such as beekeeping and the production of honey to be sold in the local market will guarantee an income for families facing unemployment or inconsistent incomes. The women and families of south Bethlehem continue to work diligently in their small bee farms, looking towards a future that will hopefully hold brighter days to come.
-Ends-
Struggling in the difficult economic situation, worsened by the political situation in the country, including closures enforced by the Israeli army, Hajer and many others like her are seeking solutions. World Vision’s Women Empowerment Project, consisting of small income-generating beekeeping projects to improve the economic situation of poorer women, came as a godsend for Hajer and her family.
This project has added a lot to my life, and I will never leave such a project, even if I am the only one working in beekeeping Having participated in several training courses conducted by various organisations and now working as a volunteer with World Vision’s Bethlehem Area Development Programme office, Hajer seeks to help her family and community as much as she can.
“I like helping my family and other families in my village, even it takes more time and effort,” says Hajer, who is also an active member of World Vision’s steering committee, village committee, and agricultural relief group.
After attending a theoretical course in beekeeping, Hajer encouraged the women of the community to participate in the project. Bethlehem’s southern cluster is considered to be the Bethlehem’s poorest and income-generating projects like these are sorely needed.
The beekeeping project will provide 120 women in nine villages (consisting of 7,820 beneficiaries) in Bethlehem the opportunity to earn an income from honey marketing. The women are taught how to manage their beehives, feed the bees, check for eggs, check queen bee houses, as well as the number of frames, and the presence of diseases.
This could produce an average annual honey production of 10 kilograms, which would represent US$340 of annual income, a much-needed input for so many of the women and their families involved in the project.
And, since beehives, if nurtured and cared for properly, can produce additional beehives, the possibilities for this income-generating project is an exciting prospect for the people of these Bethlehem villages.
Although interesting, beekeeping is not always an easy undertaking. Casualties of work can include frequent bee stings. Furthermore, in Hajer’s village of Marah Ma’alla, where the majority of residents are Muslim, the white one-piece trouser suit worn by beekeepers initially posed a challenge. Women were not comfortable leaving their homes wearing something other than their traditional long-sleeved long dresses, but after some time, attitudes changed and work continued at the bee farms.
“The beekeeping needs more effort, and it sometimes needs effort that the women can’t tolerate,” Hajer says, but she and the other women of the community are forging on, bee stings and all, because they believe in the benefit of the project for themselves as well as their families.
The women also contribute a small amount of their own money to the project. This helps foster the feeling of empowerment and ownership among the women. Hajer explains, “The amount of money is not big but has a big influence among the women; they feel that the project is their own, and myself and the other women are committed to the project and try hard to succeed.”
I like helping my family and other families in my village, even it takes more time and effort Having learned about management, economic and marketing issues, Hajer and the other women are grasping these tools and applying them in their own lives. Feeling more than ever like a valuable part of their community, Hajer and the women of her village feel their relationships have grown and blossomed in their shared experience with the beekeeping.
“I believe,” says Hajer confidently, “that this project will have an increase return and production if women continue working together for a long time with it.”
Training women in new skills such as beekeeping and the production of honey to be sold in the local market will guarantee an income for families facing unemployment or inconsistent incomes. The women and families of south Bethlehem continue to work diligently in their small bee farms, looking towards a future that will hopefully hold brighter days to come.
-Ends-
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