WEST BANK: Female bee farmers in Bethlehem produce honey to earn a living

Record ID: 561621

  • Title: WEST BANK: Female bee farmers in Bethlehem produce honey to earn a living
  • Date: 20th September 2010
  • Summary: BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WOMEN COLLECTING BEEHIVES BEES ON A HIVE VARIOUS OF WOMEN WORKING IN THE FIELD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BEE FARMER, AWATEF MAHMOUD, SAYING: "There are 14 of us. Each one of us is paid 300 shekels (81 US dollars). The association gets us the bees, clothes and food like sugar and medicine for the year." VARIOUS OF WOMEN MAKING FIRE TO CALM BEES VARIOUS OF WOMEN AND ENGINEER COLLECTING HIVES BEES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WORKER, MAISA MUHAMMAD, SAYING: "I am working to help my family. My husband works, but I want to help him. I was searching for a project like this. This is a good project." VARIOUS OF WOMEN WORKERS WOMEN CARRYING BOXES WITH BEEHIVES WITHOUT BEES WORKERS PUTTING BOXES IN VEHICLE WOMAN CARRYING BOX AND TAKING IT TO LOCATION WHERE THEY TAKE HONEY FROM BEEHIVES VARIOUS OF WOMEN WITH HELP OF ENGINEER FROM AGRICULTURAL MINISTRY CLEANING BEEHIVES FROM WAX CLOSE OF BEEHIVES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WORKER, FATMEH MAHMOUD, SAYING: "We walk about three-and-a-half kilometres to reach here. I live in Thabra, which is away from Wadi Rahal (where the beehives are). I walk to it because of the situation. But thank God." WOMAN WORKING ON SEPARATION MACHINE VARIOUS OF INTERIOR OF MACHINE ENGINEER ADNAN ABU SROUR HELPING WOMEN CLOSE OF BEEHIVES AFTER HONEY IS TAKEN OUT OF IT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SUPERVISOR OF THE BEEHIVES PROJECT AT THE PALESTINIAN MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, ADNAN ABU SROUR, SAYING: "The main aim of the project is to strengthen women's associations in villages in the district of Bethlehem to increase the income of families in these areas. The project is to help unemployed people who used to work in Israel. The lack of rain has also caused farmers to start new projects, such as intensive farming." VARIOUS OF HONEY BEEN FILTERED
  • Embargoed: 5th October 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Economic News,Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVAE4PDK5P1W4CHXTMFWRAP1O373
  • Story Text: The Palestinian ministry of agriculture is helping bee farmers increase their honey production so they can replace Israeli honey products on West Bank shop shelves.
    In the West bank village of al-Masara, women working on farms to produce honey, is a rather uncommon sight.
    In this traditional society, it was not an idea that met the approval of many men, who are more used to seeing women in more conventional jobs, such as picking fruits and vegetables at their family farmland in the West Bank.
    But with unemployment hovering around 19 percent in the West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture has stepped in to provide beehives to these women so they can support themselves.
    In al-Masara, over a dozen women gather once a week to raise bees and collect honey.
    "There are 14 of us. Each one of us is paid 300 shekels (81 US dollars). The association gets us the bees, clothes and food like sugar and medicine for the year," said worker Awatef Mahmoud.
    Another worker said her new vocation helped her add to the family's income.
    "I am working to help my family. My husband works, but I want to help him. I was searching for a project like this. This is a good project," said Maisa Muhammad.
    Muhammad comes from Wadi Rahal village, where 20 women aged between 20 and 50 work to produce honey.
    "We walk about three-and-a-half kilometres to reach here. I live in Thabra, which is away from Wadi Rahal (where the beehives are). I walk to it because of the situation. But thank God," said Fatmeh Mahmoud.
    Ministry officials said the project was launched to strengthen women's associations in the region.
    "The main aim of the project is to strengthen women's associations in villages in the district of Bethlehem to increase the income of families in these areas. The project is to help unemployed people who used to work in Israel. The lack of rain has also caused farmers to start new projects, such as intensive farming," said Adnan Abu Srour, supervisor of the beehives project at the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture.
    Around 50 women are now working on beehives in farmlands.
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