Female Beekeeper Training Nepal

In July 2018 I was invited by the Rotary Club of Pokhara Annapurna to one of their meetings. It was a very positive meeting. Some faces were familiar from when we had lived in Pokhara in 2001. I discussed various future projects the Rotary had planned. Earlier this year I was approached by a friend Dilly who I know through Children Nepal about a possible project we could support. The project was to support women and create an income for women. It was to include 25 women. The income generation project was to supply the women in 25 households with a bee hive and give them bee keeping training. The superb thing about this enterprise project is that it can be passed onto others in future and handed down to the new generations.

We arrived in Nepal in the early hours of Friday 4th October, our flight had been severally delayed in Delhi. We travelled from the airport to our hotel, the one advantage of arriving at 1am is the roads were empty. Later on Friday afternoon we headed back to the airport this time to the domestic terminal. It was complete bedlam. Lots of people were travelling because of an important festival called Dashain. KB was nervous and excited, it was his first flight!

On Saturday 5th October I met with a few of the rotarians and then we started our journey to Amalachaur. We travelled in a jeep for approximately 3 hours on dreadful roads to Kusma. This is a town where many tourists travel to when they go rafting or kayaking on a river called the Kali Gandaki. It is the river where I met my husband 25 years ago! On route it was announced to us that we would be walking over the highest and longest suspension bridge in Nepal. Jo does not have a head for heights! She handled the situation magnificently!

After crossing the bridge we had an hour and half walk. It was very hot but the incredible countryside was so beautiful that it distracted any exertion required.

When we arrived in the village of Amalachaur in Baglung district it was early evening. We had a rest then went to meet the ladies. They were all dressed in their stunning saris. We had a wonderful warm welcome. We had a celebration program of the Village Women’s Committee speaking and giving thanks. That day some of the bee hives had arrived. I briefly spoke on behalf of BBTSTN, I thanked them for their hospitality and generous welcome. We were given marigold garlands and tikka and a beautiful hand woven scarf as a gift. All the women introduced themselves, some were very shy doing this. Some of the women spoke more, talking about the future and what this income generation project means to them and their future.

I felt so privileged to be representing BBTSTN and those people who support our charity so we can be part of projects such as this.

We stayed in a gorgeous traditional house that evening.we had a very tasty meal of Dhal Bhat. In the morning we walked around each household saying a more personal Namaste and seeing their bee hives in place. The were having their trading in a few days time. I plan to go back in the future and see how the ladies are progressing with their honey.