ITF Beekeeping Project Published in Ukrainain Beekeeping Newspaper
We are proud to see our initiatives are reaching people from far away as we work towards a world free of threats to peace and security, where safety, well-being, prosperity and dignity of individuals and communities is assured, with beekeeping serving as a significant empowering tool. Furthermore, we are delighted to invite you to read the article published in the latest issue of the Ukrainian newspaper specialized for beekeeping, available in both, English and Ukrainian. The article highlights our project 'Beekeeping as an Empowerment Tool for People with Disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.'
Since the end of armed conflicts in 1995, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) remains heavily contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), presenting ongoing threats to public safety and impeding socio-economic progress. To date, landmine and unexploded ordnance survivors continue to be one of the most severely discriminated and socially excluded groups, encounter significant barriers to employment. With the unemployment rate among persons with disabilities at around 85 %, accessing the labor market is one of the most significant problems they face.
Beekeeping is a great way to establish stable household income and improve quality of life for vulnerable social groups and disabled persons. It is suitable for small-scale agricultural activity in localities where capital and technological resources are low. It requires little initial investment and as there is no need for complex technologies to operate, it is a great way to establish a stable household income and improve the quality of life. Beekeeping is based on working at home and offers employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
In 2021, ITF, together with Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia prepared a project proposal »Beekeeping as empowerment tool for people with disabilities from Bosnia and Herzegovina” and invited UDAS, a non-governmental organization that supports mine victims, amputees and their families from Bosnia and Herzegovina, to project partnership. The aim of the project was to equip mine/UXO survivors with the knowledge and skills needed to establish small-scale beekeeping businesses and create a supportive network interconnection. As part of the project, survivors, along with their family members, participated in 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, further supported by donors from the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Korea.
Beekeeping training course in Slovenia, 2021.
The project began with focused training for beekeepers who were mine/UXO victims from BiH. In July 2021, three survivors attended a three-day beekeeping course organized by the Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia, where they deepened their knowledge of queen breeding and selection and had hands-on experience with the entire beekeeping process. Another three-day training session was held in October 2021 in Banja Luka, attended by 26 mine victims and their family members. Conducted by instructors from the Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia, participants received essential supplies at the end of the training. Continuing into 2022 and 2023, the project persisted with training sessions for beekeepers who were mine/UXO victims from BiH. In October 2022 and March 2023, a four-day and a two-day educational training on beekeeping were respectively held in Banja Luka, with 30 participants attending each year from across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Led by a professional team from the Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia, these sessions also provided an opportunity for mine surviving beekeepers and their families to sell their own honey from the previous year's project at designated stands set up in front of the Faculty of Agriculture Banja Luka.
Training for beekeepers in Banja Luka, 2022.
As part of the project, ITF together with partners, Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia and NGO UDAS, organized a three-day study visit to Murska Sobota, Slovenia in October 2022. 11 representatives from Bosnia and Herzegovina (mine victims, representative of Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Republic of Srpska and representative of city of Banja Luka) attended the study visit. On the first day, the participants welcomed the Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Food Republic of Slovenia, Ms. Irena Šinko, at the premises of Association of Paraplegics of Prekmurje and Prlekija. Another study visit to Slovenia took place in June 2023. The study visits were also an opportunity for the mine/UXO victim beekeepers to provide their delicious produce for honey-tasting.
Study visit in Slovenia (Murska Sobota 2022). Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Food Republic of Slovenia, Ms. Irena Šinko.
Study visit to Slovenia (Triglav National Park, 2023).
In March 2023, a significant step towards empowering mine and UXO survivors took place, as the beekeeping center for mine/UXO survivors has opened in the premises of NGO UDAS in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The beekeeping center has several objectives, including the inclusion of mine and UXO survivors in the process of producing bee products, developing social skills, encouraging social activities, facilitating mutual assistance and cooperation, and providing workshops on beeswax-candle-making for women. These activities also raise awareness of living in harmony with nature and the need for environmental protection. Additionally, the beekeeping center offers opportunities for re-integration and entrepreneurship.
Opening of beekeeping center for mine/UXO survivors in Banja Luka, 2023.
Throughout the whole project, over 100 participants learnt the essentials of beekeeping, including the management of hives, honey production, guidelines for good hygiene habits, brand building and sales. The establishment of the Beekeeping Center and the Association of Beekeepers with Disabilities and Women "PČELICA" further solidify the project's impact, providing a platform for ongoing support. Additionally, the provision of beekeeping equipment for more than 50 beekeepers and the development of a web platform for product promotion demonstrate the project's commitment to sustainable growth and visibility.
The project is making a tangible difference in the lives of many mine and UXO victims. Not only does beekeeping provide a source of income, but it also serves as a therapeutic activity that helps to build confidence and a sense of purpose. This contributes to the self-sufficiency, independence, and overall well-being of participants, marking a tangible difference in their lives.
Željko Volaš, president of UDAS, who has been working in activities focused on supporting mine victims for more than 20 years, stated that out of all activities, beekeeping has proved to be the most fulfilling for mine victims. As one of the participants of the training has said, “Ovo nije hobi, ovo je ljubav” (“This is not a hobby, it’s love”), their aim is not only to empower mine victims, but also give them a common hobby in which they come together, educate one another, and socialize, while the most important aspect of the project continues to be psychosocial.
Beekeepers- mine victims from BiH.
About partners on the project:
ITF Enhancing Human Security (ITF)
ITF is a humanitarian, non-profit organization established by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia in March 1998 with the mission of Strengthening human security and building resilient communities by reducing risks to peace and security through compassion, innovation, transparency and partnerships. Since its inception, ITF has been continuously developing and strengthening its mission of enhancing safety as well as enabling the recovery and development of conflict affected countries by addressing the immediate and long-term impact of mine/ERW and other hazards following armed violence. ITF Enhancing Human Security (https://www.itf.si/)
Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia (SČA)
SČA contributes to the spread of extensive, more than two-hundred-year-old knowledge about beekeeping in Slovenia in the form of non-formal educational courses both in Slovenia and abroad. It was established in 2018 in response to the expressed interests of many countries in the transfer of Slovenian knowledge, skills and practices of the Slovenian beekeeping profession to other countries. SČA strives to share knowledge about beekeeping in the form of non-formal educational courses, to promote Slovenian educational institutions in the field of beekeeping and to spread new knowledge in the national and international context. Slovenska čebelarska akademija (https://sca.kis.si/en/)
Organization of amputees UDAS of Republika Srpska (UDAS)
UDAS is a non-governmental organization established and run by amputees and landmine survivors. UDAS assists mine survivors and other PWDs to recover, reintegrate and give back to their communities through the survivor-centered integrative programmatic. It was founded in 2002 and operates in BIH through six regional associations in Banja Luka, Doboj, Bijeljina, East Sarajevo, Gradiška and Trebinje and through coordinator in the Federation of BIH. UDAS vision is to create a prosperous society without barriers and prejudices where everyone has equal opportunities. (https://www.udas.rs.ba/en/)