The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project © Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project © Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project View all images ↓
View all images ↓

Situated in the town of Bamenda, North West Cameroon is a cooperative of women beekeepers. Its founder member Marianna Tanda Fumsi became interested in beekeeping when she volunteered in a honey shop to gain work experience.

With a passion for woman's issues, Mariana recognised the potential for training women to keep bees as a means of generating income through the sale of honey and related products such as soap, wax and medicinal products.

In Cameroon, as with many African countries, approximately 40% of the population in the country live below the poverty line, and some parents find it extremely hard to provide for even the most basic needs. With this degree of deprivation, children have little or no hope of accessing healthcare and education which ultimately makes all the difference to the future development of the children, their families and the wider community.

Networking between grassroots woman's organisations means there are several similar woman's cooperatives in the Northwest region that includes beekeeping cooperatives in the towns of Belo, Fundong and Bamendankwe. While each offers training for those who want to learn apiary craft, they also aim to offer support and education to women within these communities and beyond.

The women of such cooperatives are agents of change and have long recognised the need to support each other and work together to enrich their lives and that of their families while living in harmony with each nature.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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Children in class at Saint Francis RC school in Bambili. "In Cameroon as with many African countries, children are forbidden to attend school unless they are wearing the correct uniform," School fees and uniform amount to the equivalent of £20 per child, which is often too much for families to afford. Producing honey helps mothers pay for schooling.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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Marianna Tanda Fumsi enrolled in a beekeeping course in the 1990s, and soon established her own hives at her family home in Bambui, on the outskirts of Bamenda. In 1997 she became the founding member of the Bambili beekeeping cooperative where she started to help other women make additional income for their families by selling honey and related products. Now there are several similar beekeeping cooperatives across the region including the towns of Belo, Fundong and Bamendankwe.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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With little or no provision for care of the elderly in Cameroon, often older member can become a burden for their families, this can lead to resentment and neglect. Thankfully 81 year old Martha is cared for at home on the family farm by her daughter Prudencia and son in law. Marianna her youngest daughter works away but visits as often as she can and always bringing little treats such as a cold bottle of orange juice.

© Eleri Griffiths - St Blaise Roman Catholic community hospital, a baby receives her measles vaccine.
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St Blaise Roman Catholic community hospital, a baby receives her measles vaccine.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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Student nurses at saint Blaises community hospital prepare for a day of vaccinations at the clinic. Without a national health service, parents must pay for their children vaccinations.

© Eleri Griffiths - St Blaise Roman Catholic community hospital in the town of Bamenda, Sr Relindis offers advise to an expectant mother.
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St Blaise Roman Catholic community hospital in the town of Bamenda, Sr Relindis offers advise to an expectant mother.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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A teenage mother receive a visit from her friend. The baby who has not been named is one day old. Women in grass roots organisations such as the women bee keepers are keen to offer support and education for your women who may be vulnerable to sexual assault or abuse.

© Eleri Griffiths - The little finger is daubed with a purple marker to ensure that no child is vaccinated for polio twice by mistake.
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The little finger is daubed with a purple marker to ensure that no child is vaccinated for polio twice by mistake.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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A pupil receiving her polio vaccination, this is the only vaccination paid for by the government in Cameroon, parents must pay for all other vaccinations for their children.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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Without sufficient child care provision or immediate family to help care for her child, a young teacher bring her one year old son to school and looks after him in her classroom order that she can continue to work.

© Eleri Griffiths - Bridget Mbah is secretary of the Bamendankwe bee keeping society. Here, she fuels a smoker, which is used to calm the bees.
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Bridget Mbah is secretary of the Bamendankwe bee keeping society. Here, she fuels a smoker, which is used to calm the bees.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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In Cameroon, the sale of honey does not always conform to any food safety standards. The Honco Honey cooperative have received training in apiary craft from British beekeeping volunteer. As the sign above the door boast, their honey is extract and store honey using more hygienic standards.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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. One of the women of the local village, Rose Sirri, samples some of the fresh from the hive honey. The hives don't just provide food, they also yield beeswax for candles, furniture polish and beauty products.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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Josephine Musongong, a member of the cooperative in Bamenda, prepares for an evening hive inspection when the bees are less aggressive. During the inspection she finds that the area has been disturbed by thieves who have taken the honey, disrupted the colony and damaged the hives.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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At least a quarter of each harvest should be left in the hive to provide food for the Bee’s. Some beekeepers are know to replace honey with a sugary substitute in order that they can collect more honey to sell, this is not a practice the Bamenda Women’s Bee Keeping Society approve of and a good portion of the honey is left for the bees.

© Eleri Griffiths - Bi-products such as wax can bee use to make candles, soaps and salves which is an additional way to generate income.
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Bi-products such as wax can bee use to make candles, soaps and salves which is an additional way to generate income.

© Eleri Griffiths - Women beekeepers inspect the hive for honey.
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Women beekeepers inspect the hive for honey.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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A trainee beekeeper ties a scarf around her head for protection in order that she can get closer to the hives to observe the honey harvest.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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The Bamenda Women’s Bee Keeping Society offer training for women hoping to lean apiary craft.There are not enough beekeeping suits for everyone, they do their best to observe from a safe distance.

© Eleri Griffiths - Image from the The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda photography project
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Honey Bees Swarm about their top bar bee hive. Northwest Cameroon has dense and diverse flora which provides excellent forage for the bees. The women can collect honey up to four times a year with each honey harvest tasting different depending on which plants are in flower.

The Women Beekeepers of Bamenda by Eleri Griffiths

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