Evidence of sustainable beekeeping in Cameroon
Bees Abroad's ethos is to reduce poverty through beekeeping projects that ultimately will become self-sustaining. By their nature these are activities that take several years to demonstrate their sustainability. It is therefore very satisfying to see how seeds sown over 10 years ago by Bees Abroad have blossomed into independent activity.
Chiamba Joshua Anyeah was one of the first people trained in beekeeping in Cameroon by Brian Durk and Pam Gregory, in the early days of Bees Abroad. Since them Joshua has undertaken beekeeping consultancy work and has set up an non-profit organisation called RUDEC (Rural Development Centre), which works in the Boyo department of Cameroon. More than 200 beekeepers have benefited from RUDEC’s beekeeping program, and Joshua also runs an orphanage for children whose have lost their parents/carers, principally from malaria, TB or HIV/AIDS.
Joshua is an energetic man who has built links within his own community, as well as reaching out to the USA, Germany, Canada and the UK to find volunteers to help in his orphanage. He typifies the self-help ethos that can be found in Cameroon. You can see more of RUDEC's work at their website. It's gratifying to see that talented people like Joshua can maximise the benefits to less-advantaged communities of modest amounts of support from Bees Abroad.
