The Yaaku Honey Project

About the Yaaku People

  • A Cushitic people, numbering around 10,000, living in the Mukogodo forest on the western side of Mount Kenya.

  • Descendants of Ethiopian hunter-gatherers.

  • Adopted Maasai traditions after shifting from hunting to livestock keeping.

  • Recognized by the Kenyan government as part of the Laikipia Maasai

  • Unique for their deep connection to the forest.

  • The only community allowed to inhabit the Mukogodo forest, a critical conservation area, due to their role as model forest stewards.

  • Their non-interference with the ecosystem helps protect wild bees, which are essential for crop pollination.

  • Beekeeping is a central tradition for the Yaaku people.

  • Honey is not only a major part of their diet but also a symbol of wealth.

  • The number of beehives a man owns determines his social status, and honey plays a key role in the bride price for marriage.

The Yaaku Honey Project empowers small-scale farmers in the Yaaku community of Kenya, enabling them to sell high-quality honey directly to the market by passing exploitation.

Key Objectives

  • Equip farmers with skills, tools, and training in beekeeping and honey production.

  • Promote environmentally friendly beekeeping for long-term success.

  • Use technology (the Till App), to connect farmers with fair markets.

Activities and Achievements

  • Harvesting honey: The Yaaku’s traditional methods preserve their cultural heritage and promote sustainable honey harvesting.

  • Processing organic honey: The Till App ensures that the honey is pure and certified through simple processing techniques that maintain high quality.

  • Training and support: provide hands-on training to improve honey production, both in quantity and quality.

  • Quality control: establish honey quality standards that meet market demands, raising sales prices.

  • Market linkages: farmers are connected to buyers through the Till App, ensuring fair pricing without middlemen.

  • Community engagement: involved the Yaaku community in project decisions, ensuring sustainability.

Impact

  • Farmers earn higher prices for their honey, which improves their financial stability

  • Environmentally sustainable practices help preserve the local ecosystem, thus benefiting both farmers and the environment

  • Technology connects farmers to larger markets

Kisii Pilot Program

The Kisii Pilot Program was designed to test the Small Scale Farms model, connecting small-scale farmers in Kisii, Kenya, to larger markets while ensuring fair pricing and improving logistics.

Key Objectives

  • Test the Small Scale Farms model by using SMS technology to organize farmers and pool produce for urban markets.

  • Help farmers access larger markets to sell crops at better prices.

  • Ensure farmers received fair compensation, with a 40% increase in earnings.

Activities and Achievements

  • Farmer registration and organization: farmers registered via SMS and pooled crops to meet market demand.

  • Logistics management: handled crop transport to market and ensured fair weighing and pricing.

  • Technology development: refined the farm.tillmobile.com platform for tracking crops, sales, and payments.

  • Payment system: farmers received immediate payment through MPESA for their produce.

  • Market sales and distribution: sold pooled crops directly, eliminating middlemen and ensuring fair compensation.

Impact

  • Farmers earned an additional $60 per month on average.

  • Farmers gained better prices for their produce, reducing food waste.

  • Over 700 farmers expressed interest, indicating strong demand for fair access to markets.