Selemawit Mebirat's Transformation Through Beekeeping and Farming
Ten years ago, in Eritrea, a dream took place on the outskirts of the Red Sea, where the ideal climate fostered the beginnings of an apiculture journey. This was the humble start of Selemawit Mebirat, who, alongside her husband, dived into beekeeping. Five years later, in 2021, life led them to Ethiopia, where they settled in South Gondar zone, L/Gayent woreda, Yedro kebele 13, Keberomeda near her husband’s family and began to rebuild their passion with five traditional hives with a keen interest in farming and a desire to improve their quality of life.
Selamawit recalls, despite having received basic training in beekeeping back in Eritrea, there was uncertainty about how well bees would thrive in South Gondar's fluctuating weather—sometimes cold, sometimes hot—making it challenging for the bees to flourish. Selemawit had initially stood in the shadows, supporting her husband without knowledge of beekeeping, but little did she know that was about to change. Despite their past struggles with subsistence farming and the earlier lack of land, they took a bold step in 2022, acquiring a loan to invest in modern beekeeping—which has lifted their livelihoods. Selemawit had also started animal fattening with seven sheep with a 0.5ha land gifted to them from her husband's family. While trying to adapt to the new environment and striving, in 2024, the Kebele agriculture expert approached them. She added that the MaYEA program has provided them with critical knowledge in bee colony management, colony splitting, wax preparation, shoat fattening, and even potato production.
She purchased three additional ones after receiving training. She says The MaYEA program equipped them with the necessary skills for animal fattening and beekeeping, making a significant difference in their beekeeping and farming activity. They learned how to select sheep suitable for fattening, a game-changer for their sheep rearing.
In September 2024, she says, they increased the hives by splitting four bee colonies based on the new skills they acquired in bee colony splitting. But weather challenges their harvest, limiting it to less than expected. They yielded 200 kilograms of honey from 35 hives and sold for 140,000 ETB. Yet, she believes it was a hopeful start.
She aims to expand her business in apiculture by creating room for value-added products, like producing Tej to the market with her unique brand. She also has desires to enter into the hive market,
The MaYEA Program, led by ORDA Ethiopia in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, aims to engage 80% of women in apiculture and related value chains.