The people of Mkwachi chose to implement a small-scale beekeeping project to alleviate poverty by diversifying small business opportunities. The local economy is over-reliant on the lake, whose sandy shores make farming very difficult. The project aims to promote honey production and marketing by installing an apiary capable of producing at least 140 liters of honey per year from 15 bee hives. Beekeepers will be trained to spearhead honey production, and another team will be trained to lead in honey marketing with projections of about MK 300,000 (USD 388) total revenues per year. After establishing reliable honey markets and seeing the benefits, it is expected that group members will start setting up their apiaries with technical assistance from the key beekeepers. This project will be funded in part by the Chati Beekeeping Group, a female-dominated organization from Chanju and Tiyese villages established to provide access to small business loans. After seeing the effects of overreliance on the lake, the group committed to a 25% monetary contribution.
To ensure sustainability, the project has been entirely built on the ideas of the Mkwachi community members who are the custodians of the project. To help during emergencies, the group has established a sustainability fund to which every member will contribute MK 100 per month, which translates to MK 38,400 (USD 50) per year. Additionally, the honey production team will be responsible for conducting bee hive hangings, apiary inspections, honey harvesting, and processing and packaging. They will also be responsible for the expansion of the group enterprise and assisting members who want to start beekeeping on their own.