Due to the dry season, the team is currently not planting. However, concurrently, they are actively preparing for reforestation efforts scheduled for the upcoming wet season and developing income-generating activities (IGAs) focused on mangrove preservation and supporting the local community to enhance this crucial ecosystem.

Mangroves are vital for the ecosystem, providing habitat and protection against coastal erosion. To preserve them, it is crucial to offer sustainable income alternatives to farmers through IGAs related to mangroves. Apiculture represents one of these alternatives: recently, we have intensified our efforts in the beekeeping sector in Boeny. In October 2023, the team of Bôndy supported eight beekeepers by pre-financing two modern hives each, totalling 16 hives, along with protection and monitoring equipment. These beekeepers, previously using traditional methods (capturing bees in hollow trunks and waiting for them to fill with honey), can now harvest twice a year instead of once. They provided them with introductory training before installing the hives and continued to train them continuously during each monitoring mission. The first harvest, conducted in mid-June, yielded 70 kg of honey from 8 hives. 🍯

This initiative not only boosts the production of high-quality mangrove honey but also generates income for the local community, contributing to the conservation and valorization of mangroves in the region.