Project Launch: Empowering Teenage Mothers Through Bee Farming
In early 2024, The Giving Exchange launched a new project in partnership with the Rural Women Foundation for Community Development (RWOFCD) in Kasese, Uganda. This initiative seeks to empower 30 vulnerable teenage mothers through the practice of bee farming.
The mission of RWOFCD is to create lasting, innovative solutions to poor health, ultra-poverty, and social injustices for sustainable development. Through skills development, sustainable agriculture, and health promotion, they aim to empower the most marginalized communities, especially women, children, orphans, vulnerable children (OVCs), and youth, to live happy, healthy, and economically productive lives.
Direct Beneficiaries: This project will directly benefit 30 vulnerable teenage mothers who are unemployed, living in poverty, and facing illiteracy and malnutrition.
Project Details: Bee farming will help alleviate poverty and empower local teenage mothers. By providing training in bee farming and financial management, we're equipping these young mothers with a sustainable source of income, medicine, and food. Bee farming represents a viable microeconomic enterprise that not only pays for itself but also provides health benefits and acts as a practical insurance against crop failure and local unemployment.
Impact: This Bee Keeping project will procure 100 beehives and supplies, and it is projected that each hive will produce 5 kg of honey per harvest every 3 months. With four planned harvests per year, we anticipate generating a total of 2,000 kg of honey annually. Once the project is implemented, the projected income is estimated at $5,260 USD each year. This income will not only improve the livelihoods of the teenage mothers but also contribute to the economic growth of the community.
Project Oversight: An experienced Apiculture Officer with eight years of bee farming expertise, will oversee the project. RWOFCD, as the implementing partner, will provide all necessary labor and resources during implementation.
Measurement: We aim to measure the improved livelihoods and wellbeing of the trained teenage mothers by the end of March 2025. Key indicators include monthly income and the amount of honey produced and sold. Additionally, we'll track the number of trained teenage mothers capable of training other beneficiaries, thereby promoting knowledge sharing and community empowerment.
Join us in supporting these young mothers as they embark on this transformative journey towards economic independence and self-sufficiency. Together, we can create lasting change and empower communities for generations to come. Stay tuned for updates on their progress!
