Kesogo village beekeepers, Kenya

Introducing the tiny village of Kesogo

The village of Kesogo lies in north west Kenya, in the shadows of the foothills of Mount Elgon. Just the other side of Mount Elgon lies Uganda and to the south lies Lake Victoria. The village of Kesogo is about 5 km square with around 100 families living there. Families average 10 people per family. Women and children walk 5km to fetch water from springs, streams and rain water. Electricity is available around the village market and a small number of houses within 200 metres of the market also have electricity. The others in the village do not and the nights are lit by kerosene lamps. The whole universe is visible above your head at night with starts shining in the unpolluted crystal clear blackness of the sky.

Most families in the village are farming families, and the main crops are maize, dairy, tea, coffee and vegetables. Some farm their own land and others work on other people's farms. Kesogo lies just one degree north of the Equator and its climate is split into two seasons - cold and rainy from April to November and warm and sunny the rest of the year. The temperatures can drop to freezing at night because the village lies at the dizzy height of 1800m.

Religion is prominent in the area, as it is in the rest of the country. Religions of all types mix freely in this region.

Visitors are welcomed and encouraged and an English family have set up the Sirikwa Campsite in the village.

Peter Otengo lives in the village with his extended family, including Mama and Papa Otengo, and a number of his eleven siblings and their children. Peter is co-ordinator of a self-help group and encourages villagers to become self-sufficient in any way they can. He wants to restore their pride and dignity.

Peter is also a beekeeper, and so it is natural that he encourages his fellow villagers to consider beekeeping and all the advantages it offers them - honey, beeswax and other products for market.

Beekeeping techniques in Kenya differ from those in the UK. Seasons and weather differ, the plants the bees forage on differ, and the bees themselves differ. These are African bees, with a killer reputation. However, when handled correctly these are life-giving bees and they offer hope to the community. In order to gain the knowledge to handle them correctly, the Chalfonts Beekeepers' Society are exchanging ideas and raising funds for local training. This long-distance community is becoming a two-way exchange of ideas, and as we develop this web site further we encourage you to join in our learning.

Beekeepers in the Chalfonts and High Wycombe have donated beekeeping equipment (right, dressed in donated equipment), and The Chalfonts Beekeepers raised money to pay for local beekeeping courses in Kenya. The courses cost around £80 for a week's accommodation - a figure that includes accommodation and food. Courses are run at Baraka college.