By Shaban Omar
For years, many persons living with disabilities in Kwale County have struggled to find economic opportunities that honour both their dignity and resilience.
But in the interior villages of Lunga-Lunga sub-county a quiet transformation has taken root.
Through community-led beekeeping projects, vulnerable farmers having children living with PWD who were once sidelined by harsh socio-economic realities are now harvesting more than honey.
They are reclaiming their independence, restoring their confidence, and rewriting the narrative of disability and poverty.
The initiative was started in 2020 by Kids Care Kenya, a child support NGO based in Lunga-Lunga in partnership with Mombasa Rotary Club and county and national government.
Then Covid-19 had taken toll of the most families and those with PWD children suffered the most, hence the beekeeping intervention.
The program has so far benefited 3000 PWD children in Lunga-Lunga.
The pilot project dubbed the Kenya Homecare and Beehive began as a small experiment in inclusive agriculture and has now become a lifeline for the Kwale vulnerable families.
At least 200 farmers were trained and equipped with the necessary materials to realize the beekeeping project.
And without a doubt five years later, the impact is undeniable. Families that once struggled to survive now speak of empowerment, stability, and renewed hope.
Hadija Hassan from Tingani village within Lunga-Lunga sub-county is among those whose lives have taken a new direction.
She recalls the uncertainty that greeted the initiative in its early days.
“At first, we doubted the project, asking ourselves how these small creatures would benefit us. But we were wrong. We are now harvesting a lot of honey,” she said, her face brightening with pride.
For Khadija, the transformation goes far beyond honey production. Beekeeping has become her anchor of resilience, a source of income that allows her to fend for her family with dignity.
She remembers a time when her community lived in acute poverty, when putting a simple meal on the table was a daily struggle.
Today, that story has changed. With the steady earnings from honey and related products, many families in Tingani can now afford three meals a day, keep their children in school, and plan for a future that once felt out of reach.
“We used to go through so much hardship. Our children stayed home because we couldnβt afford their school fees. But now, those struggles are things of the past,” she said.
She said the beekeeping project has sparked a wave of new livelihoods across the community.
Inspired by their success, members have ventured into additional income-generating activities to diversify their earnings and strengthen household resilience.
Hassan said that they have now established small soap-making enterprises, as well as juice and water-selling businesses, all of which have significantly boosted their socioeconomic wellbeing and overall standards of living.
Hamadi Shoka from Mwambao village shares a similar story of transformation.
Shoka said they fully embraced the beekeeping project, and the returns have exceeded their expectations.
“We are proud of this initiative. It is not easy, but once you give it your all, it is worth the risk,” he said.
According to him, the project has uplifted his entire community.
Many residents who once struggled to meet even their basic needs can now stand on their own with minimal support.
He said the profits from honey sales help families navigate daily challenges and live more comfortably and in healthier conditions.
Shoka added that the training they received has empowered them with skills to create their own local beehives.
This has made it easier and cheaper to produce as many hives as they need, significantly increasing their honey output and strengthening their economic resilience.
According to George Baya, the beekeeping initiative initially targeted 24 villages, but the organization is now considering expanding to 96, driven by the remarkable results already witnessed on the ground.
Baya said the project goes beyond training farmers in honey production but also equips them with essential business and financial skills, and supports their registration under cooperatives to ensure long-term growth and sustainability.
He said that the programme by Kidscare Kenya was deliberately designed to strengthen food security as a pathway to better child protection outcomes.
βFor a child to be safe, a lot must be in place. They must have the right to education, good health and a decent life but for communities to provide that, they need stable income and reliable ways of generating it,” he said.
Baya said they have already begun rolling out the second phase of the programme to ensure even more vulnerable communities benefit from the initiative.
He noted that the success witnessed so far has created strong demand across the county, making expansion not just necessary but urgent.
Rotarian Mombasa Downtown Rotary ClubΒ Nancy Wangila said their collaboration with Kidscare Kenya is driven by a shared commitment to uplift vulnerable communities.
Wangila noted that the partnership is bringing together diverse stakeholders with one purpose to serve, empower and transform the lives of those who need it most.
