Goodbyes are Hard!

Two weeks ago we made our last visit to Kayenze. The road to get there is so beautiful, right beside the lake. It is even more right beside right now, so much so that the road is almost in the lake with all the recent rains! Amisadai took so many photos as we drove ... it's like we are trying to fix all these precious memories and appreciate everything here we love all the more.

Kayenze was the first village we visited when we arrived in Mwanza. Our first visit was for the village seminar where there girls were doing the SODIS shake!

Amisadai (10) and Louisa (7) teaching on clean water on our first visit!

It was the first village we started an official Emmanuel International project ... Tim and I with Peter and Esther working with farmers on Conservation Agriculture. Since then so much more has happened. The church, which back then was just a handful of people, is now overflowing outside the building walls. And it was such a privilege to worship one final time with them all. Tim preached and we and group members all shared a bit ... I literally got one sentence out before I choked up! It was special to have all the beekeepers there too and although hard, so good to be able to say goodbye.

Louisa shares her farewell ... rather more grown up now! 

The Kayenze road

Last week, the four of us went overnight with Bhatendi to Malya and Ngudu. Our first visit to Malya was on a Sunday back in 2014. And it was there the vision for a beekeeping project began! Little did we know then as we walked through the cotton fields, how popular Malya cotton honey would be!

We were warmly welcomed once again this time by all the beekeepers and mamas together. Back in 2014 none of knew anything about beekeeping. And now we all have so many crazy beekeeping memories together ... and a bumper crop of honey! It was a good time together! We were able to update them on the progress on The Hive and the processing room ready for them. And also about the high demand for honey in the shop there. They were happy to know that as we leave, in no way does the project stop here! It is exciting to look ahead to all that God will do in these groups and this community. After a time of sharing and praying together and Tim sharing a word we had years ago about God's goodness in a promise of a land flowing with milk and honey, it was time for a farewell feast! The mamas group had prepared a lovely lunch for us of rice and beans and meat and fruits which we all enjoyed together with cold sodas!

Talking about testing honey with the refractometer 

Time for lunch!

Photo shoot and selfies with everyone took ages afterwards!

With Bageshi, the beekeeping chairman and his children

Our next farewell was with the beekeepers at the church in Ngudu. We arrived in time for the mid-week service and Tim was promptly asked to preach. After the service, we had a meeting with the beekeepers. They had done a great job harvesting their first honey on their own and had some buckets for us to buy and take back to Mwanza! It was great for them to test it with the refractometer and see some quality honey proven (it's already all sold out!)

And after the meeting all the beekeepers were invited to Pastor Emmanuel's house for another farewell feast. A special evening together with all of them, again so sad to be leaving, but with hope and expectation for all that is still to come as they expand their beekeeping project. At the close of the evening, we sang together and prayed ... and it was hard to keep the tears from spilling as my throat was too choked up to sing! We have been so incredibly blessed to walk a journey with this group of people!

Tim preaching in Ngudu

More farewell speeches

At Pastor Emmanuel's house

With Mama Deborah (Pastor's wife)

I am so thankful we were able to say a good goodbye to these three beekeeping groups! This beekeeping project has been one of the hardest things ever. But the time spent with these people has been such a blessing! We have all struggled and learned together ... and then rejoiced together and leaving them now is terribly hard! But there is also joy in the sadness ... particularly all the honey that Malya harvested after our time together. But that is a blog for next time! 

Linz Singing, Nairobi Clinics, Mwanza Bees

The blog has yet again been woefully neglected! I can hardly keep up with the action at the moment, let alone writing about the action!

At the moment, Tim is Tanzania, Louisa is in Austria and Amisadai and I are in Kenya. Louisa has the most incredible opportunity to go on a school Choir Trip to Europe to compete at the Anton Bruckner International Choir Festival in Linz! They performed today, but I'll let her tell that story!

Sightseeing in Vienna

Meanwhile Amisadai needed to come here to Nairobi for some physiotherapy on her knee. She had a football injury months ago which has worsened rather than healed over time. But more recently, she suddenly struggled with acid reflux issues again, which rather knocked her out. We were advised by her consultant in the UK to get various tests done here in Nairobi before going ahead on any treatment of the symptoms. So here we are again!

We left Mwanza on Monday at 2pm on a bus. At 7pm we arrived at the Kenyan border and passed through all the checks and bought a visa. Then there was time to find a bag of chips from a café on the other side. We then had to wait while a man fixed something under the bus and then within 45 minutes, we were on our way again. It was time to try and get some sleep in our seats. We arrived in Nairobi around 4:30am on Tuesday morning and waited for a taxi to take us to our excellent guesthouse at the Kroppachs' And then 2 hours later it was all systems go all day at the clinic and physio! Phew!

Physiotherapy time

Time for a treat! Thank you, Sue!

Meanwhile, there seems so much news from Mwanza to catch up on! But I will just tell you a bit here about the bees…!

Beekeeping has been rather intense recently! It is harvest time for honey in Kayenze and Malya and Bhatendi and I have been working with them and also the group just getting started in Ngudu ... all in all, it's been no easy task! But I will stick here to the good news!

We had a bit of problem with the new hives just hung in Ngudu. In four of the twelve hives, the bees started living and building their combs outside the hive! They clearly didn't read our new beekeeping manual.

Bees working on building comb OUTSIDE the hive!

But the problem turned into a really fabulous learning opportunity for two of the group members! We were able to work very peacefully at the hives for a change which was a real treat! Gently using a smoker and brush to move the bees, we cut each comb off the bottom and basically sewed them onto the top bars and put inside the hive. When all the combs were on bars inside, the next job was to make sure the queen ended up in there too. It was wonderful to have the opportunity (in the daylight!) for the members of the group to watch the bees and find the queen and get her inside!

Pastor Emmanuel with the first small comb attached 

to the top-bar, ready to put in the hive

It did get a little more difficult on the hives which had been hung earlier … the bees had been incredibly busy! We were amazed at how many combs they had underneath and even more amazed to see fully capped honey and combs of brood! Again it was a super learning opportunity for the new beekeepers to see brood comb, drone brood, capped honey, uncapped honey, different pollen colours and watch activity at the hive! But the large honeycomb was just too heavy to hang! We hadn't even thought about honey being there already, so were not prepared with buckets, but we had a container which we filled as much as we could and so left with some delicious first-fruits! What a bonus! We devoured over half the comb right there and the rest was pressed and filled a good sized jar!

Pastor Emmanuel enjoys the honey when the job was done!

Charles, also enjoying the sweet treat!

Following the initial harvesting of the few hives in Kayenze and Mayla, (the honey all sold out within two weeks) we have experimented with solar wax extractors! Simon has worked on designs and come up with a brilliant extractor! Rather than melting all the comb down pot by pot with fire or gas, (a rather tedious, hot and time-consuming job!) now we can just load up the extractor with all the comb and let the sun do the rest! Much more efficient and environmentally friendly!

All the comb (after taking the honey) is melted and filtered 

to get the pure wax in the container at the bottom! 

This harvest, we were also able to collect some propolis! So I have started experimenting with cleaning and preparing propolis to sell. We have made oil and alcohol tinctures as well as coconut oil salves with the cleaned, ground propolis and already have very positive reports from someone using it on a large dog wound! So I am getting rather impatient now to get our Honey Centre set up and start workshops teaching beekeepers and women's groups how to do all this processing and making!

The propolis after being cleaned, boiled, strained, frozen and ground

As this post is already getting rather long, I will save more updates for another time. It is certainly a strange time at the moment with rather a lot going on. But we are grateful for God's grace and strength and so grateful also for the many of you supporting and loving us! Thank you!

In the Dark, in a Beesuit, in a Pond

I was traipsing as quickly as I could through the fields and trees in the pitch black darkness. It was difficult in my big boots and bulky beesuit with veil and gloves, while carrying buckets and an extra beesuit. My sense of direction is bad at the best of times, but now it was non-existent. Stumbling over rocks and roots and then through cassava mounds and ditches in my disorientation, yes, I questioned my sanity. But the beekeepers were waiting for me.

I was at Mama Maria's with the beekeeping group in Malya. We had come in hope to harvest some honey. But one of the beekeepers realised before we got started that a rat had eaten the veil, so I had gone back to the land cruiser to fetch a spare suit. It had been easy getting to the vehicle by following the small light coming from Maria's house. But finding my way back out to the hives was another story! I knew I had gone wrong but was still trying to head in the right general direction... when suddenly … SPLASH!!

In the darkness I ran straight into a pond and was, with a shock, up to my thighs in murky water. The only good thing about it was that the beekeepers heard the splash and my startled scream and I could then hear them call me in the right direction!  

Last week was not an easy week! Bhatendi and I spent the first three days in Malya and the next three days in Kayenze, working with the two beekeeper groups in the hopes of harvesting honey. This was the second time to harvest with the groups and the plan was for them to do the harvesting work while I observed and assisted only when necessary. We didn't get off to a good start as none of the beekeepers turned up at the arranged meeting spot and it took 2 hours to get organised. Then we were against some insanely crazy bees and while we managed to harvest some good honey from the first hive at Maria's, soon after starting the second hive, it was just me and the group leader left. We had planned to go on to work at more hives, but we were all fairly finished! It was rather discouraging. The next night after a busy day with the mamas group making beeswax balms and then a very late beekeeper group meeting, we went to Mathias' hives. One of them had collapsed its top-bars and was insanely overcrowded with bees and took over an hour to sort out. But in it all, we did manage to harvest some honey and propolis! Our visits to the hives at Bageshi and Ema's were less fruitful. Again, Bhatendi and I fell into bed hungry and tired at 1am.

Night-time beekeeping with the red flashlight … about to start!

A few tired beekeepers waiting to go to the next hive

It was hard again in Kayenze! I won't go into all the challenges, which seemed to come one after the next! First, we were simply too early with most honey not yet capped, then there were hive trees cut down, hives burned, smoker troubles, roofs blown off, some crazy four-wheel driving in the bush… I will just jump to end of our last night. We had just arrived at Alphonse's after a fruitless time in the hills at Amos'. We were all incredibly well layered, with some wearing two beesuits just for protection from these crazy bees! But we had barely taken a few combs of honey when the rumbles of thunder got suddenly louder. As drops started, we quickly started closing up the hive. But as we put the rocks on the roof, the heavens opened with the ultimate thunder and lightening show! Once again, stumbling quickly through the dark fields, this time completely drenched. We could not get rid of the wet bees who clung to our suits! It took almost two hours for the rain to ease and us to clear the bees. Soaked to the skin through layers and layers, we were tired and hungry in the middle of the night, with no place open to sell us a bowl of beans! Once again flopping on my bed, listening to the rats scratch and the huge buzzing crunchy insect whizzing about my room, smelling the stinky pile of soaked muddy clothes on the floor and the drop pit behind the door that didn't close, yes, again I questioned my sanity. 

Beekeeper Group members sharing their stories of the 

good things God has done!

Suiting up

Preparing the smoker

Double-suited

So at the end of it all I did truly question what we are doing with this beekeeping project! Why?! It is so ridiculously hard in so many ways! But at the end of the day, those groups still did harvest some honey which has been processed, bottled, labelled and some already sold! And there is the hope that after a few weeks all the uncapped honey in Samson's five hives will be ready to harvest. At the end of the day, these groups are still wanting to carry on, still dreaming of being famous in Tanzania for their honey! Yes, they are making mistakes and still have a long way to go, but a couple of them are really good at the hive now and my hope and prayer is that they can carry the groups forward now. It takes a long time for new ideas to get accepted … but the conversations have started. Conversations they are having in the villages about saving trees doomed for the instant short-term benefit of charcoal to keep instead for the long-term benefit of fruit and honey. Conversations about the benefits of hives in fields for crop yields. And conversations about our wonderful Creator God! In Ngudu, the new community beekeeping group formed by the church has placed hives in a forestry reserve area alongside other beekeepers. Amazingly, the group hives have colonised very quickly … more so than the others. Other people have been asking why our group's hives colonise when theirs don't. The pastor was very clear in replying that the number one reason is because the group has prayed for God to bring the bees to these hives! And number two, they have baited the hive with wax and protected it with greased wires. And number three they are keeping the area around the hives free from weeds and branches.

And working with the beekeepers last week gave us opportunity to be with the women working in Malya with beeswax. The profits they get from this work are not huge, but it all helps. This has been a particularly dry year and for many their rice has simply dried up and died. They are left with nothing to harvest. But together these women are managing a group garden for vegetables and using group money to buy a goat and soon start a chicken project. We were also able to meet with one of the women in the Kayenze conservation agriculture group. She is looking at a great harvest of beans after already harvesting her maize enriched by them. She was wearing rings from the witchdoctor, but we could pray with her to the Creator God of the harvest who truly hears her prayers and drives away fear.

With Mama Antonia and her jackbeans in Kayenze

So now the next time you enjoy a spoonful of honey in your tea or melt it on hot toast, take a moment to appreciate the effort taken to make it available! To appreciate the amazing wonder of creation that leads bees to plants and results in their intricate work of making honey! And then I think, even in the dark, in a beesuit, wet in a pond, even then, it's worth it … maybe.

The honey harvest

Latest Buzz: New Beekeepers in Ngudu

The long-awaited Ngudu Beekeeping Project has finally begun! It wasn't exactly smooth sailing, but when has beekeeping ever been smooth sailing? Tim and I went with Bhatendi, our new beekeeping officer-in-training and it was a full three days. But Bhatendi did really well, jumping in with some of the teaching and it was exciting to get this project off the ground! 

The Ngudu Beekeeping Group

Bhatendi leading the Bible Study

We were able to complete a first draft of our own Beekeeping Manual just in time for this training seminar. It is good to be drawing all we have learned along the way together in a useful format! The course goes through the basic introduction to beekeeping, learning about the bees and life in the colony and then looking at hives and equipment and how to start and care for an apiary. This is all integrated with a foundation in God's word, looking at creation (including the benefits of bees in agriculture) and his kingdom purposes (including business and entrepreneurship). 

Introduction to Beekeeping

We faced quite a number of challenges and frustrations (including some very burnt, soggy chips in a very noisy guesthouse!), but one real struggle was just getting the group together. On the first day, only one person out of the twenty who had signed up showed up … and this was starting three hours after the set time! Four others joined us and the pastor was adamant that more were coming. Anyway, by the time we finished on the second day we had a group of ten including the pastor. Bhatendi is returning in a couple of weeks to teach another mini-seminar to all those who missed it for reasons still rather unknown! 

Learning about protective gear!

If anyone has contacts with any beekeeping groups who would like to help our beekeepers with any protective gear, it would be really appreciated! Getting the suits and veils and gloves is a challenge here … so any donations of second hand gear would be a big help!

Tim teaching one of the session

Tim checks the hives with the carpenter … he did a fantastic job!

Practical learning about baiting the hive

Hanging the hive in a local forest

A new mama beekeeper greases the wires to keep the ants out

As we were not so far from Malya, we were also able to visit the beekeepers and Mamas there. It was a great opportunity to introduce Bhatendi to them all as she will be working closely with them. We are waiting for the harvest in May … they were able to buy more hives with their profits and we are praying with them for a good honey harvest! It wasn't planned, but the mamas were very keen to get working … so we ended up having quite a balm-making session as well! All good to get some more batches of Moringa Balm and Foot Balm ready to sell! I love these women!

Moringa Balms in the making

Goats, Bees and Varcoes

I am working backwards here in the blog! So before Zanzibar and before the Mamas big order deadline, we had a great visit with David and Ineke Varcoe who came just to support and encourage us, which is just exactly what they did! It was wonderful to have them with us and they treated us in so many ways! Kicking a football, singing and playing Phase 10 ... the girls especially loved having them around! They also came with us on many visits and encouraged so many of the people we are working with as well!

David and Ineke were with us for the birth of Stanley (Park), born to our Saanen goat! We now have two little kids Sasky and Stanley skipping about, and are enjoying the milk we get from Victoria! We are drinking some, saving some for goats cheese and giving some to the Upendo wa Mama group for Goat's Milk and Honey soap

Victoria and Stanley

Creamy morning goats milk

Kayenze Beekeepers

We had a really encouraging meeting with the beekeepers in Kayenze! They received the money for all the honey they have sold in the first harvest. After all the challenges they have faced, this was just wonderful to celebrate together!  It was such a positive time with deep and meaningful discussion beyond simply the honey. It was a wonderful time of sharing and learning from each other as we talked about London and Kayenze and the role of the church in community. The Kayenze beekeepers are keen to invest their talents and profits and have already paid for three more hives to be made which will be hung to colonise and we hope produce more honey for the next harvest!

We were also able to visit the papaya tree shamba at Alphonse's. As well as papayas and beehives, Alphonse also cares for one of the three Kayenze tree nurseries. It is good to see the tree planting project progressing alongside the beekeeping and agriculture in this area.

We were also able to visit the papaya tree shamba at Alfonse's

Papaya fruit!

The beehive at Alphonse's

Ngudu New Beekeeping Group

We drove further afield together with John, our beekeeping trainer, to the village of Ngudu, a new village for us, where we are starting another beekeeping group. It was great to be with Pastor Wilfred and the church there for a Sunday morning. David preached and after an amazing lunch, we headed out to visit an existing apiary which was struggling in disrepair. But it was great to see the interest in getting beekeeping to flourish in the village! We then returned to the church building where interested new beekeepers from the church gathered for some initial teaching from John about the beekeeping project and how the church can help and serve the whole community through it. We are looking forward to another visit in a few weeks and then officially starting the community group and beekeeping training after Christmas.

After all the other choirs, it was time for the Wageni Wazungu Choir!

Wandering through abandoned hives at the apiary in Ngudu

Kome Island Health Project

Tim went with Peter, David and Ineke to Kome Island for a few days where they met up with Gertrude to see all that is going on with the Health project. Gertrude has been doing a great job managing things while Simon and Victoria have been back in the UK!  They arrived in time for lunch and then they joined the fifteen women in VICOBA group run by Pastor Margaret. The group is going well - they meet weekly to deposit a small amount money. This scheme helps them to save and support one another and later on they can take out loans to start small enterprises amongst other things. While the women, Gertrude and Ineke continued with a health meeting, Tim, David and Peter went with Margaret to the mid-week church meeting where David spoke. Margaret is an incredible woman, passionate and committed and very supportive of the project. They all enjoyed sharing a meal in her home at the end of the day. The following day, they went to another village where Peter did some training on conservation agriculture for a group of fifteen there. They then returned to Margaret's village and did the same for a group there as well. The churches in both villages are going to plant a demonstration farm this season and we hope to start more training with more in the communities.

It was also good to see how the sanitation teaching is catching on! Simon had taught Pastor Daudi how to make and use the Tippy Tap, erecting one outside the outhouse at his home. The house with the Tippy Tap is now essentially a public toilet for all the school kids who want to use Pastor Daudi's outhouse, just so they get to wash their hands at the Tippy Tap! Wonderful! It was fantastic for Ineke in particular to see the work progressing on Kome as she walked a long 100km in 24 hours last year to raise funds for this project!

The only damper on the trip was at the end! Peter, David and Ineke all boarded the ferry to head to the mainland. But Tim, driving the landcruiser, was booted out the way and left behind on the island! The others had to wait three hours on the other side for him to get across!

Ferry from Kome Island 

The Women's VICOBA group meeting

David preaches the small gathering at Margaret's church