Disability & Gender Inclusion

Beekeeping to economically empower persons with Disability (BEEPwDs)
With support from The National Lottery Community Fund, TUNADO and Bees for
Development (BfD) have been implementing a pilot project; Beekeeping to
economically empower persons with disabilities in Uganda (BEEPwDs). The two-
year (2019-2020 with a COVID19 extension of one year) project is implemented in Gulu
and Jinja districts of Uganda, and aims at economically empowering PWDs through
beekeeping. The project targets 30 persons with disabilities, with a focus on persons
with visual impairment (15) in Gulu and the Deaf (15) in Jinja. The project has three
outputs namely:
1. TUNADO and Bees for Development become Disability-Inclusive Organizations.
2. Opportunities for PwDs to participate in beekeeping sub-sector developed.
3. Beekeeping-specific adaptive skills training developed and applied, for people
with visual and hearing impairments.
So far all targeted project beneficiaries (30) have been trained in beekeeping, all of
them have already established apiaries and are engaged in different activities in
beekeeping, those in Gulu, have already secured market for their honey and about half
of the beneficiaries have started harvesting and selling honey. More than that, the
project has spilled over to more 10 (ten) persons with disabilities (04 persons with visual
impairment in Gulu and 8 Deaf in Jinja). By learning from the direct beneficiaries, they
have adopted beekeeping as a livelihood option, far exceeding the initial target of 30
beneficiaries. Four (04) guides for four visually impaired beneficiaries in Gulu have also
benefitted indirectly and joined the beekeeping sector.

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