The Namibia Nature Foundation’s Forestry team in collaboration with Dr. Ortwin Aschenborn, a beekeeping expert, led a two-day intensive training in Kongola for beekeepers from the Mudumu North Complex at the end of May 2025. This is supported by the Dream Fund/COmON Foundation and Bengo/Kaza Arise projects.
This hands-on training focused on the harvesting and processing of honey and by-products such as beeswax. It was followed by a one-day refresher course for a second group of newly selected beekeepers, which also offered an opportunity for two advanced trainers to step into a training role. The trainers welcomed two beekeepers from Bwabata National Park, supported through NNF’s Climate Adaptation for Protected Areas (CAPA) project, marking a step toward deeper collaboration across conservation programmes.
© NNFThis training forms part of a broader initiative to promote alternative sources of livelihood for Community Forests in Namibia through non-timber forest products like honey. Beekeeping plays a critical role in forest protection by providing communities with viable economic alternatives that do not rely on deforestation-based activities, preserving forest ecosystems.
After training, the participants receive ongoing support and equipment, including essential protective gear and smokers, to ensure safety and effectiveness in their work. In Kongola, NNF-supported beekeepers have access to the new Honey Hub facilities to harvest and bottle honey using the honey extractor and other equipment. The beeswax is processed to make high-value products like candles, skin lotion and foundation strips.
© NNFThese efforts build on previous work. In 2024, NNF trained beginner beekeepers from Mudumu North Complex. This year, those same individuals returned for follow-up training, where they harvested honey from three hives and used Kongola Honey Hub’s extractor to process their yield. Two of the more advanced beekeepers trained through the NNF programme took the lead in demonstrating harvesting and basic beekeeping techniques to the beginner beekeepers. This approach of training-the-trainers is key to expanding knowledge and building self-sufficiency within local communities.
As forest degradation threatens traditional ways of life, initiatives like this show how sustainable resource use can unlock new opportunities, strengthen resilience and keep forests standing for good.
Blog by Sunnypo Imalwa, Namibia Nature Foundation.