Site Training of Bee Keeping

In April 2010, we practiced site training of beekeeping in Adantia. The trainer, Mr. Sarkodie Alexandor who runs beekeeping and mushroom cultivating in Yawhema, lectured and demonstrated the process of harvesting. Unfortunately honey was not enough to harvest, but participants learned the skills and swept away their fear against bees. Then we gained some learnt lessons.

   In Adantia, we started the site training at five o’clock in the evening because bees are active during day time. Three IGA members including chairman and secretary of the beekeeping group took part in it and one joined demonstration. Bees have entered the hive in palm farm since last dry season in 2009 but they never knew how much the colonies were grown because they feared to open the hives. Before the site training, the trainer lifted the hive to measure whether the height was enough or not. Then he facilitated members to wear the suits, which has not been used for one year after exist of the PAFORM project. First they hesitated to wear it, but the trainer convinced them and one of them wore the suit and followed him. He advised how to wear and showed how to use the smoker, and closed to see the bars of colony. The one brought the torch, stood next to the trainer and the hive and assisted the trainer. Unfortunately colonies were not so matured that we could not harvest. But community members learned the skills to harvest and deepened their confidence.

After the site training, they discussed that one who joined demonstration is going to build the cropping house for mushroom. The trainer is also mushroom farmer, so the training linked their activities together.

    I gained some learnt lessons from this site training. The trainer who proposed to hold training for the community and demonstrate in the community sacrificed his effort from his volunteerism. Community members should have appreciate for what the trainer has done for them, but what they said after the training was that ‘it is simple, no more fear, so that we can do without any help’, though they did never experience harvesting. I learned my commitment might somehow have led compulsory workshop instead to generate their initiative and facilitate them.