This months 1% is for 100 Bee Hives. Our 1% will pay for an impressive 100 Bee Hives, the planting of 25 acres of sunflowers and the protective clothing for 36 people as part of Self Help Africa's work to increase income for 560 small holder farmers in Kayunga and Kumi in Uganda.

This project serves a triple purpose - combating environmental degradation, increasing incomes and boosting food security. The earnings from beekeeping will provide alternative sources of livelihoods, hence reducing the rate of cutting down trees for charcoal and firewood. Since the bees rely on trees and plant life for survival, there is an incentive for farmers to preserve existing foliage and plant more. Bees are equally important in contributing towards food security. Insects are the earth's chief pollinators and most crops which provide global food security are bee-pollinated. Of the 100 crop species that provide 90 percent of the world's food, over 70 are pollinated by bees. By increasing local bee populations, the project will help boost crop productivity and thereby increase local food security.

Adequate nutrition is more complex than consuming a sufficient number of calories for daily energy requirements. Honey is a rich source of valuable nutrients for the local population, but the cultivation of fruit trees and increase in cross-pollination will also bestow greater nutritional variety to local populations.

As beekeeping does not require land ownership (the hives are hung in trees) and is not a labour- intensive activity, women and people with reduced mobility or comprised health (e.g. people with disabilities or those affected by HIV/AIDS) - who are often denied land ownership or are less able to undertake labour-intensive farming - can actively participate. Beekeeping is also complimentary to other farming activities.

The honey produced will enhance the diets of the participants’ families. Income raised by selling honey will be available to purchase other foods, and also to pay for essentials such as medicines and school fees.