Participatory Action Research (PAR) on Beekeeping in
Kenya, 2006
Baraka Agricultural College/SHDI Beekeeping Outreach
Project – Kenya
Introduction:
Baraka Agricultural College manages a beekeeping extension project to
five districts in Kenya. These are Nakuru, Kericho, Bomet, Koibatek and
Baringo districts. The project has been in operation since 2003 and is
funded by an Irish agency – Self Help Development International
(SHDI). The project works with at least 5 beekeeping groups per district
providing training and support to beekeepers. Areas of training provision
include beekeeping skills, bee equipment making, honey and wax processing
and marketing, business and leadership skills. It has become apparent
over the years of the project that a learning approach to beekeeping was
fundamental to success. With little or no beekeeping research in Kenya
to inform beekeeping extension workers and beekeepers, the beekeepers
themselves need to become their own researchers. This approach in now
being implemented in the project after staff received training in Participatory
Action Research (PAR) facilitated by SHDI. This article outlines our experiences
to date using PAR in beekeeping development in Kenya.
The Basics of PAR:
Research is often considered the preserve of academics and well staffed
and funded research stations. Research is often commissioned without reference
to the needs of people it is supposed to assist (in this case beekeepers)
and the results are often not communicated. PAR however is different –
it is the beekeepers themselves who decide what is to be researched and
how and the understanding generated is applied or leads to action. The
beekeepers are involved in all stages of the research from problem identification,
formulation of research questions, deciding on the research methodologies,
data collection, data analysis and the decision on what new actions to
take. The research is cyclical in the sense that learning never stops
and once one problem is addressed another arises and the process starts
again.
The Baraka PAR experience to date:
In 2005 the Baraka/SHDI project staff received training on how to implement
PAR. We also began research activities working with local beekeepers.
In 2005 we looked at the issue of hive design and which hive is the most
suitable for beekeepers here in Kenya. This was not true PAR however as
we (the outsiders) decided the research issue. The results of the research
were interesting and useful all the same. Our research results pointed
to the fact that there was allot of hype in the promotion of frame hives
in Kenya and in many cases they were performing very poorly.
In 2006 we decided to keep to the principals of PAR and let the beekeepers
decide their own research priorities.
The queen excluder shown above was inserted by farmers
in Kitui district, Kenya as part of on-going farmer research into improving
honey quality from log hives.
The following PAR activities have been undertaken to date (2006):
1. Beekeeper groups were consulted and farmer researchers selected by
the groups themselves.
2. In March 2006 a training workshop on PAR was carried out for beekeeper
researchers by project staff.
3. In May the first PAR workshop for beekeeper researchers was conducted.
At this workshop beekeepers discussed their beekeeping problems. Three
different groups of beekeepers identified low hive occupation
rates as their primary issue which needed to be tackled using
PAR. Beekeepers identified research questions and research methods. It
was agreed by participants that we would meet for a half days workshop
every two months to review data collected and to make decisions on action
to be taken (a two month research cycle).
4. In early July 2006 a follow-up was conducted by staff to visit beekeepers
and see how they were progressing and encourage them in their research.
5. On July 21st 2006 a second workshop was conducted where beekeeping
researchers met to discuss their research findings and analyse data collected
and make decisions on new actions. The details of beekeeper's research
findings on Low Hive Occupation Rates and action decisions taken during
this workshop will be added soon as a pdf document (please check this
page again soon for a link to this pdf document).
6. Two more PAR workshops will be held in 2006 –one in September
and one in November 2006.
We will bring you more news and information on Participatory Action Research
in Kenyan beekeeping on this page as Kenyan beekeepers tackle their beekeeping
problems and share their findings and insights with you.
Article by Tom Carroll, July 2006
|
