Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary (TCS)/ Outamba Kilimi Kuru Pensilli Soyah (OKKPS) Project organised two days of training for seventy Community members from four communities on Apiculture and Honey Production in Outamba Kilimi National Park (OKNP) Landscape.
The field officer, Aminata Sesay provided training on the modern harvesting of honey for 70 Economic Interest Group Members (EIG) in Fintonia Tambaka Chiefdom. During the training, Sesay welcomed the participants and explained the importance of the two day meeting and the aims and objectives of the training of the modern production of honey to the EIG members.
According to her, the project will add value on the product and strategically link the community to the market. The Community Conservation Manager Mr. Ishmael A. Jalloh, said that, the project will make sure that all the honey products will qualify for proper consumption around the world.
The field officer Aminata Sesay have to do the sample surveys around the four sites to check the time honey production. The training was focused on the theory and practical trainings, and and open dialogue was maintained between facilitators and participants to deepen their engagement and understanding.
The community members appreciated all the intervention of the TCS/ OKKPS Project. Mr Abu Bakar Kamara, the Apiculture focal person Yembereh, commended Tacugama for its modern establishment of honey production in their communities.
He says that as a community member, they are actively standing firm to support the projects for the protection of the OKNP landscape and with all the sustainable alternative livelihoods provided for the community members it’s a great pleasure of having TCS in Tambaka Chiefdom.
Mamasta Sumah the Economic Interest Group (EIG) Chairlady, from Kortor said that, “involving women in any developmental program is a great opportunity for them as a woman’’.
Dr Moses Fayia the Project Coordinator, educated the EIG members on the high quality of the honey production process which will commence in March 2024. The OKKPS project has provided the EIG members with all the Apiculture equipment for the process of honey.
In addition, all the apiculture sites members have already constructed fire belts for the proper protection of the Kenya beehives boxes and also to protect the forest from wildfire.
Mohamed Kamara another Apiculture group leader from Moria commended the project for the good work in their various communities, Kamara also thanked TCS for providing him with the opportunity to move from Tambaka to Mamou, the Republic of Guinea for the Agroecology and Apiculture training which made him understand more deeply the modern system of farming and honey production.
Kamara says as a youth he is ready to spread awareness in his community for the proper protection of Kuru Hills.
According to Mohamed Kamara, conservation can help people and provide job opportunities for the youths in Tambaka chiefdom.
Karim Kamara, the head of the Gbarian apiculture group, said that they are happy to see TCS operating in their landscape and appreciate that they have dedicated their efforts towards the Livelihood activities (agroecology and apiculture).
Mr. Karim said since the government reserved the park as a national park, only TCS / OKKPS provided them with such livelihood activities and recruited some of their children in the project, so we as the community members appreciate the Project donors.