Queen Bee: Meet Zimbabwean Woman Empowering Thousands Of Women In Beekeeping, Agribusiness

• Queen Bee real name Jacquie Gowe is a member of the African Union's Africa Women in Animal Resources Farming and Agribusiness Network
• Queen Bee's nickname was derived from her daily job; she keeps bees for a living, as well as training women in beekeeping
• Through her successful beekeeping venture, Queen Bee has emerged as a major contributor to the Zimbabwean feed and fodder sector

Naivasha, Kenya - In her country Zimbabwe, Jacquie Gowe is nicknamed ‘Queen Bee’.

A coincidence since she comes from a tribe that is known for loving “sweet and sophisticated things”, in Maungwe.

Her nickname, Queen Bee, was derived from her daily job; she keeps bees for a living, as well as training women in beekeeping. Through her beekeeping, she is a major contributor to the feed and fodder sector.

How Queen Bee is empowering women

So far, through her organisation Sweet Maungwe, Gowe has trained more than 5,000 women.

“I keep bees of honey production, process it, and package it. My passion is to train women for honey production,” she said.

Gowe was speaking at the sidelines of the ongoing five-day workshop by the African Union-InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) in Kenya, to discuss ways to overcome the current feed and fodder shortage.

Gowe also attended the workshop as a member of the African Union's Africa Women in Animal Resources Farming and Agribusiness Network (AWARFA-N).

Out of 12 provinces in Zimbabwe, Gowe has managed to reach at least 6 (six), training women and encouraging them to embrace agribusiness. And she is marching towards covering the entire country.

“I am excited to see how we can unite with other countries and expand. In my travels, I have found other ladies who are doing beekeeping,” she said.

Queen Bee's efforts to realising food security bear fruit

Already, she has joined a group of about 100 women to form a WhatsApp group, where they exchange ideas and opportunities about the sector.

Gowe is a beneficiary of the African Union--InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) initiatives, which are geared towards empowering women across the continent.

In her role as a beekeeper, she is not only contributing to enhancing the feed and fodder sector but also to empowering and improving the livelihoods of thousands of women in Zimbabwe.

“I want this replicated across Africa. It is not labour intensive,” she said.

Bee farmers play a crucial role in the provision of animal feed and fodder, as livestock such as cows and goats heavily rely on crops like alfalfa and clover, which are pollinated by bees.

This symbiotic relationship between bees and livestock not only ensures food security and nutrition but also contributes to the preservation of biodiversity and the maintenance of vibrant ecosystems for plants, humans, and bees alike.

A large proportion of agricultural yield in crop farming, gardening, and fruit production depends on pollination by bees. The crop yield is significantly higher with pollination by bees.

How AU-IBAR is breaking the cycle of poverty, inequalities

Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), indicate pollinators affect 35% of global agricultural land, contributing between KSh 33 - KSh 82 billion a year to global crops directly relying on pollinators.

To break the cycle of poverty and inequalities, AU-IBAR has been advocating for the development and implementation of policies and legal frameworks that create a wider array of opportunities for women in the feed and fodder sector- which will lead to their economic empowerment for the inclusive and sustainable development of the continent.

At the workshop, experts from 6 (six) countries have been brainstorming on ways of addressing the current feed and fodder shortage that has been occasioned by climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

AU-IBAR and representatives of different countries have all united in calling for the support of women venturing into the sector.

Many women seeking to venture into the feed and fodder sector have been derailed by poor access to appropriate and sustainable financing mechanisms that address women’s felt needs tailored to their capacities.

AU-IBAR seeks to address this shortcoming alongside others, through its ambitious initiative dubbed the Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) Project.

Overall, the project is designed to help targeted African countries overcome the current feed and fodder shortage.

Gender Policy and Strategy Expert Dr at AU-IBAR said:

“We will call the project a success if we will have been able to increase the involvement of women in the sector since we have segmented the value chain.”

She added:

“One of the indicators would be to measure the percentage of women who have been able to participate in the various segments of the value chain.”

The RAFFs project is designed to mobilise efforts that will bring the desired effect of addressing the immediate shortages in feed and fodder.

Further, the project seeks to inform and attract short-term increased investments to forestall future shortages of animal feeds and fodder.

The story of eco-warrior hummingbird, Grace Gitiha

In a related story, TUKO.co.ke reported that it’s been almost 10 years since Grace Gitiha ventured into the business of making briquettes.

And this time, the demand for the charcoal alternatives she produces has seen her increasingly convinced she made the right business decision.

TUKO.co.ke understands that briquettes are compacted blocks used as heating or cooking fuel and last three times more than ordinary charcoal.

They are used for cooking or barbecuing and as a fuel source for heating purposes.

Gitiha said that she sources raw materials from various renewable and organic sources.