Joyce Katee, who serves as the Secretary of the Matinga cluster inspecting a hive.
Kitui County, located in southeastern Kenya, experiences a semi-arid climate with irregular rainfall and dry land that make farming difficult.
Many farmers in the region have relied on agriculture for their livelihoods, but declining soil quality and unpredictable weather patterns have made it increasingly challenging.
To address these challenges, many farmers have shifted to apiculture (beekeeping) as a more reliable and sustainable source of income.
Beekeeping offers consistent income from honey, beeswax, and other bee products without relying on rainfall or soil fertility.
A key driver in this shift is the Kamaki Cooperative Society, based in Ikutha Sub-County, Kitui South.
Established in 2018, Kamaki has been helping local farmers by providing them with beekeeping skills and creating a market for their honey.
Esther Mutunga, the Program Manager at Kamaki, explains:
“Beekeeping is a vast industry with the potential to create employment and numerous unexplored opportunities. Kamaki aspires to establish itself as a global hub of excellence in beekeeping, offering comprehensive access to all aspects related to this field.”
To support this vision, Kamaki Cooperative Society is working with local farmers on a project called “Enhancing Honey Quality and Women Empowerment for Improved Income.”
This project is backed by the Participatory Grant Making (PGM) process, an innovative, community-driven approach to development.
Understanding PGM
PGM was first launched in 2021 by Transform Trade in partnership with local communities, and in 2024, the Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) took over its management to ensure its continued success.
Since its launch, PGM has supported six different community projects in Meru and Kitui counties, transforming the way local communities approach development and creating a ripple effect of positive change across the regions.
The PGM process is a community-driven approach that shifts decision-making power from external organizations to the local communities.
Rather than imposing pre-decided projects, the PGM process empowers communities to identify their challenges, propose solutions, and implement the projects they deem most important.
Once a project is outlined, the community collaborates with KCDF to create a budget, which is then funded through a 50/50 cost-sharing model.
Transform Trade covers half the cost, and the community contributes the rest. This shared responsibility encourages community participation and fosters a sense of ownership over the projects.
“PGM is different as it shifts the co-creation process, redistributing power to the community. The intention was not to transfer 100% of power but rather to demystify the traditional power dynamics. Unlike the conventional approach, our involvement is minimal, providing consultation to guide them towards project success,” explains Filbert Kavia Transform Trade’s Regional Director for East Africa.
Before PGM
Before the introduction of PGM, Kamaki primarily worked with individual farmers and those who joined the cooperative.
Efforts were limited to capacity-building sessions, but farmers were often left without the resources or support to scale their operations.
Many farmers also continued using traditional beekeeping methods, relying on log hives, which are less efficient and harder to manage.
The Implementation
With the introduction of PGM, Kamaki and the local communities proposed a project focused on improving honey quality and increasing women’s participation in beekeeping.
The project initially aimed to benefit 100 farmers; however, some participants withdrew, leaving 85 active members.
These members were divided into three clusters – Makueni, Matinga, and Ngiluni self-help groups to facilitate project implementation.
After collaborative discussions, the groups formulated a proposal with a total budget of Ksh. 3,512,250. Transform Trade pledged a grant of Ksh. 1,502,250, while the community committed to raising Ksh. 2,010,000.
This shared responsibility encouraged community ownership and accountability.
“The groups contributed in cash and kind, offering what resources they could, to fulfill their end of the agreement. This approach has encouraged members to collaborate and manage their activities independently, fostering an appreciation for the process,” said Mutunga.
Modern Hive
From the budget allocation by Transform Trade, a total of 85 Langstroth hives and 6 CAB hives were distributed to Kamaki Cooperative Society, for the establishment of three apiaries.
The provision of modern hives aimed to facilitate the transition of farmers from traditional log hives to enhance efficiency, productivity, and sustainability in their agricultural practices.
“Previously, with log hives, our honey production was limited to once or twice a year. However, the introduction of modern hives has not only facilitated easier hive inspections but has also enabled us to maintain healthier hives. As a result, we can now harvest honey more frequently, benefiting from the enhanced protection against pests and rodent intruders provided by modern hives,” Benson Kyalo, 24, one of the members of the Kamaki Cooperative Society, explains.
Modern hives have also enabled farmers to actively manage colony division by controlling the swarming process and establishing new hives from existing colonies, thus expanding their beekeeping projects.
Dam Liners
During severe droughts, bees can travel up to 4 km in search of water and forage and may abandon their hives for areas with more accessible water.
“In 2022 and 2023, our records indicated a significant decline in annual production due to bee migration in search of water. Implementing small-scale water storage structures with ample capacity is crucial for supporting bee survival during periods of water scarcity,” Mutunga elaborated.
Transform Trade provided dam liners for the three clusters, enabling the establishment of water points at the apiary level for the bees. The clusters rely on the rainfall in May and October to fill the water pans.
“Due to their smaller size, bees have minimal water requirements, thus the water harvested from the dam liners is enough to sustain them. These liners serve as a dependable water source, enabling bees to thrive even in harsh conditions,” Mutunga explained.
In the Ngiluni cluster, the water pans also support their kitchen gardens and tree nurseries, benefiting both bees and the ecosystem.
Transform Trade issued the provision of sunflower seeds and various other flowering plants to cultivate around the apiary.
This initiative facilitated pollination and ensured a sustainable food supply for their bees.
Savings Groups
The PGM project encouraged the formation of Village Savings and Loaning Associations (VSL), or savings groups, to facilitate financial independence within the community.
These groups allow members to save collectively and access credit for both group and individual projects.
Each cluster has a savings system, with Matinga members saving Ksh. 50 weekly, Makueni members saving Ksh. 500 monthly, and Ngiluni members save Ksh. 200 monthly.
“We have pending projects due to material shortages.
A portion of our savings is allocated towards procuring such resources and towards personal aspirations.
Most members are parents with household obligations, and the personal savings significantly aid in meeting these responsibilities,” Kyalo explains.
Women Empowerment
In addition to enhancing production, the PGM project in Kamaki also aimed to encourage greater participation of women in beekeeping.
Traditionally, beekeeping was a male-dominated activity, with hives placed on high trees inaccessible to women.
The women typically engaged in pursuits like poultry farming and agriculture.
“Women were traditionally discouraged from approaching beehives due to the belief that they triggered swarming,” Kyalo recalls.
The ongoing training and engagement sessions at the cooperative have helped dispel these misconceptions, leading to increased female involvement in beekeeping within the Cooperative.
At the cluster level, the hives are also strategically positioned at standardized heights for convenient access for women like Joyce Katee, who serves as the Secretary of the Matinga cluster.
Katee believes that involvement in project implementation has empowered women in her community, fostering a sense of inclusion and significance.
Growth of the Cooperative
Kamaki primarily engaged with individual farmers and those who opted to register as cooperative members.
Registered individuals were grouped into Farmer’s Field Schools and gained from capacity-building sessions, while individual farmers could only benefit from the sale of honey.
“When we transitioned to PGM, the practice of grouping farmers and fostering cohesion has evolved. There has been a surge in voluntary registration of individual farmers as cooperative members. Furthermore, the Farmers Field Schools have merged to form clusters,” elaborated Mutunga.
The clusters possess a strategic advantage as they have established apiaries that serve as central collection points for bee products.
Farmers not only benefit from mutual learning and idea-sharing within the cluster but are also encouraged to implement these lessons in their apiaries at home.
“Farmers not only receive direct support within the clusters but also gain from cross-sharing of ideas and experiences. They are attracting interest from like-minded individuals for potential partnerships. We are grateful to be part of this project and extend our gratitude to Transform Trade and KCDF for enabling us to be architects of our solutions. Although this is a pilot initiative, we urge their continued support in reaching the remaining 1000+ farmers served by the cooperative,” added Mutunga.
Sustainability
In terms of sustainability, Mutunga emphasized that the cooperative is nurturing youths like Kyalo to spearhead the project and ensure its longevity.
Kyalo, a recent high-school graduate, has already established 12 beehives at his home.
“Our aim is for the project to leave a lasting impact even after the current members have retired. Establishing apiaries as communal control points for beehives was a strategic move. This not only benefits individual farmers but also creates a ripple effect as they implement these practices at their homes and subsequently impart the same knowledge to others,” stated Mutunga.
With the success of the PGM project, Ngule urges other funders to consider adopting this model for their projects, asserting its efficiency and minimal need for supervision during implementation.
“By redistributing power and localizing initiatives, we can enhance project effectiveness by demystifying the role of intermediaries in grant-making and elevating the communities as central figures capable of executing their projects. Flexible and unrestricted funding can serve as vital tools in nurturing the PGM approach with minimal external influence and demands,” he concluded.
