Container

We received confirmation of payment of R28,000 from SASIX (GreaterGood South Africa) on 14 February 2007 and contacted Unitainer in Port Elizabeth. They supply used containers and seem to be the only company who have a crane to position the container, which we needed, as where we wanted to place the container was rather a difficult position. They had no containers available for a week but then their administrator Shalane, who was very helpful, managed to trace one in good condition in East London. Unfortunately the truck that carried the container from East London on 5 March did not have a crane! Eventually Shalane was able to help us on 9 March, when another Unitainer was being transported to Grahamstown. The crane has now positioned the container in the furthest corner of our grounds – where the bees should not frighten anyone.

Bee expert Garth Cambray has examined our container, and we are all excited about the future. Garth has instructed us to first of all paint the container with silver roof paint and then to cut the openings down the sides of the container. Garth says bees recognise straight lines and patterns and so we plan to use an Ndebele type design around each opening. Each one will be different so that the bees can distinguish their own hives. Garth also warned us that bees are lazy (he does not know why people say ‘busy as a bee’!). Because the container is close to a fence which is 2m high the bees will have to fly up and over – but as the fence is wire mesh they will try to fly straight through (make a bee line). So we will have to put up shade cloth or wooden slats to prevent them crashing into the wire mesh.

Over the next week we will be painting and making holes in the container (I will take photos). We also have to make a pathway to the container so the blind people will not trip over any uneven ground. We have also been advised to plant aloes in the garden near the container, as during the winter months they provide the pollen for the bees. We will purchase 10 bee hives to begin with and we will also buy six bee suits and two smokers.

The basic beekeeping course has already taken place and the advanced course will be conducted as soon as the bee hives are in place.

Beesuits

Our sewing group are working hard making the bee suits and are now earning a steady income. We have managed to make 88 suits so far. The seamstresses receive R100 payment for each suit. So far we have made simple suits which we call ‘utility’ in a style that has been used in the past for rural beekeeping projects. We are also planning to make designer bee suits for hobbyists and we put beadwork and pockets on those so more money is made for the seamstress. We have three permanent seamstresses and three casual ones who come for rush orders. Everyone has been very happy to receive payment as well as training for sewing. One of the girls has managed to buy a fridge and furniture for her family at home and is so proud of herself to be making a contribution to the family.

Smokers

Lulama, the disabled person who was making the smokers for us last year, has been employed at Rhodes University in Ichthyology. He was trained by Garth and had so far made only six smokers and repaired about four. New people took over this year and the first order of 20 were unfortunately all made wrongly, with the holes in the bellows not aligning with the hole in the smoker can. It was heartbreaking to see the smoker-makers’ faces – they had been so proud of their work and were so disappointed at having to redo everything. The great thing about mistakes, though, is the learning process. My husband (a Physics teacher) was able to teach the trainees the principle of the bellows and how they were supposed to function, so now no mistakes are made and understanding of function is clear. We now have two disabled men who are earning R50 for each smoker made. So far we have provided 40 smokers to Makana Meadery.

Paper Making

The Meadery asked if we could make presentation packets for their mead and we learnt how to make paper by recycling waste paper. Although the blind people also learnt this skill, we have decided to make it a disabled project using two women who, although unable to work, receive no grant. We have now learnt the technique and are able to produce good quality paper. We made some Valentines Day scrolls for sale at the local school and have produced packets which will hold mead bottles securely. We will also begin to make simple cards for sale in a local gift shop. The two women are working on a voluntary basis at the moment and are paid as items are sold. As their creativity increases, the sales will also increase, and we plan to have a stall at the Grahamstown Arts Festival for them.

Supervisor

Our cleaner, who has always been involved with more than cleaning, has been promoted to the position of project supervisor. We have given her a full time position and have tripled her salary. Mpumelelo is a hard worker and now she is learning to plan – she has to ensure that each project has the required materials and liaises with Candice (administration) or myself about purchasing nails, materials etc. She also has a keen sense of fairness. It has been good to be able to reward her for her hard work and also good for the organisation to be seen to promote and train from within.

Thank you

This project, even without honey as yet, has made such a difference to many lives and it will continue to do so. Over the next few weeks we will have the hives in place and the six blind men and women who trained with Makana Meadery will receive their follow-up training. Garth is very excited about the project, as we are situated in an area where there is little industrialisation and the honey will be made from unpolluted pollen. The container can also be used as an education site and a model for other blind communities throughout South Africa.

The business skills training will follow in about three months’ time, and all the small projects will be able to attend. The cost of the course remains the same, whether for six or 16 people. We hope that after the course more ideas will arise for expansion of the projects.

The main thing that has arisen from this project is improved self-esteem and this is something that is beyond price. More disabled and visually impaired people have begun to join our organisation because they see that we are doing something. We are able to bring hope and the opportunity for a more rewarding life.

Thank you once again for your support.

Pauline Mitchell (Manager)