It all started quite small… Moses Ryakitimbo saving elephants with bees. Now after 100 plus beehives sponsored by Nikela the crops are growing and the farmers are happy.
A farmer…
Mr. Baraka said, “I have seen miracles I never thought could happen. Staying in peace with elephants and bees helping out the process. It’s a miracle.”
Enjoy the video playlist. There are clips of elephants, the entire beehive construction and installation process, and how you can put your name on a beehive.
It all started back in early 2019. Moses reached out to us at Nikela. He had a plan to curb elephant conflict with farmers. He had one big problem… no funding.
Moses lives in Arusha, Tanzania’s third largest city. He has always loved wildlife and done what he could to preserve especially elephants. A group of farmers from the Lendoiya village bordering the Arusha National Park approached him. Elephants from the 53 square miles of protected area were invading their farms. This very rural community depends on it’s maize and banana crops to feed its families and to sell at the market. Without them sharing details, Moses knew elephants were being speared and people were getting hurt. Stories like the one about the big One Tusked Elephant were not unusual.
Moses had to help. There surely was a win-win solution for both the elephants and the farmers. After doing a bit of research he discovered the bee-solution. Unlike we’ve been told, elephants aren’t afraid of mice… they’re afraid of bees. Their trunks are very sensitive and bees seem to know it. Once an elephant ‘smells’ bees she stays far away.
Moses came up with a pilot project to prove his theory. We sponsored this pilot (Phase One) which included the materials, construction, transport and installation of 10 beehives. These were strategically placed, to form a fence of sorts, on the perimeter of the farms and blocking a favorite elephant corridor.
Phase One was initially a huge success. Other farmers in Lendoiya village stepped forward requesting beehives. Now, 100 beehives later almost the entire village of 1,500 souls is protected. Another 64 are needed to complete the job for this village.
Eighteen beehives are currently under construction to protect two female owned farms. Ester and Tumaini are anxiously awaiting their installation before the elephants return.
A Donor…
“After several visits to Africa I understood that the best way to support nature conservation in Africa is via hands-on grass-root projects. Nikela is just doing that.” – Pirjo from Sweden
Care to get involved?
It’s super easy to sponsor a beehive…
Prefer to donate the old-fashioned way? By mail?
Nikela is a fundraising non profit on a mission to help people protecting nature, especially doing wildlife conservation.
Nikela helps those protecting and preserving endangered African wildlife species.
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