ITF at Apimondia in Santiago, Chile

10/09/2023

ITF has participated at the 48th apicultural congress, where we presented the project 'Beekeeping as an Empowerment Tool for People with Disabilities from Bosnia and Herzegovina', a joined effort together with the Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia and UDAS.

Apimondia or International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations is a non-governmental organisation active since 1895 that brings together beekeepers, manufacturers of beekeeping equipment and a wide variety of experts involved in apiculture, apitherapy, pollination, development and economics. Every year, the organisation hosts an international apicultural congress – this year, it took place between September 4th and 8th in Santiago, Chile.

On September 7th, an event "Slovenian day at Apimondia" took place, which celebrated the inclusion of Slovenian beekeeping on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. There, ITF presented its project »Beekeeping as empowerment tool for people with disabilities from Bosnia and Herzegovina«, which is being implemented together with the Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia and UDAS, a non-governmental organization based in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that supports mine victims, amputees, and their families in asserting their rights and enables them to thrive as engaged and valuable community members.

The aim of the project is to equip mine/UXO survivors with the skills needed to establish small-scale beekeeping businesses and create a supportive network among them. As part of the project, survivors, along with their family members, have been a part of comprehensive beekeeping training organized by the Slovenian Beekeeping Academy. Slovenia's rich tradition in beekeeping served as a valuable foundation for this capacity-building program, along with the crucial support of donors who financed this project, Republic of Slovenia and Republic of Korea.

Beekeeping plays an important role in improving the lives of people with disabilities, offering a stable income and an improved quality of life. It is essential to support and promote these projects further, as they represent accessible and transformative opportunities for vulnerable groups, fostering economic independence and well-being.

To read more about the activities of beekeepers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, visit: https://www.itf.si/news/beekeeping-centre-for-mineuxo-survivors-opens-in-bosnia-and-herzegovina.