We are excited to receive feedback from Rwanda and the Umutara school for the deaf, with the hives we sponsor.
Umutara Deaf School is located in Rwanda on the edge of a small town surrounded by farmland. Students come from across Rwanda to study. They learn Rwandan sign language and are taught the national curriculum in addition to skills for later life such as tailoring, carpentry and now beekeeping.
This allows the students when they graduate from the school, to be able to earn an income and have respect in their home community which is not often possible for people who are deaf. The school faces many challenges regarding beekeeping as some of the hives have been destroyed by local people and pesticides are used on some of the crops which have weakened the colonies. To overcome this support from Bees Abroad has funded the purchase of a small piece of land which will provide a secure location for the bees and be suitable for the project participants.
The whole school is receiving teaching about bees, and older students are learning to manage the hives. Three to four students graduate as beekeepers each year and are supported by Bees Abroad with hives and protective clothing so they can keep bees in their home village. Members of the community and staff are also part of the project.
Student Spotlight
Berchmus Rukara is a young beekeeper and one of the most successful beekeepers from UDS. He graduated from UDS in 2022 with hives, protective clothing for himself and a family member and honey processing equipment. He weaves traditional Rwandan hives which he sells to many people at a low price. He sells at least 30 hives per month. He has over 40 hives, a big increase on the initial six hives from Bees Abroad.
Today he is mobilizing other people with disabilities to become beekeepers, he currently has five people with disability who have joined him in beekeeping. Berchmus has managed to buy two goats, two ducks and rabbits from the sale of honey and hives. His target is to buy a bicycle to help him transport material for weaving hives and transporting them to clients by the next harvesting period. Last season he harvested 45kgs which he sold at 4000frw (£2.65) per kilo, hence earning 180,000frw (£120).

Where are we now?
In Rwanda there are two distinct honey harvesting periods between rains. The first one of the season is much shorter being from January to the end of February. This harvest has been very poor in recent dues as climate changes have lengthened the rainy season. The second one runs from June to August.
Currently, the school’s apiary has a total of 8 local woven cylindrical hives, 6 of which are colonized, and 6 top bar hives of which all 6 are colonized. Very soon, weather depending, the students with support from Bees Abroad and their managers and trainers will begin to harvest honey and be able to report to us the results of their harvest.
Relationships with the local people and our beekeepers at the school are now much improved. When the students return to their villages they have the support of people around them which helps the students and their families develop their beekeeping. Visits by the teacher and by the Bees Abroad Partnership Manager to the villages once the students have graduated also help the new beekeepers develop their skills and standing in the community
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