Silke Beckedorf, the editor of a German beekeeping magazine, was in Nepal in November 2009 with a 17-member beekeeping group, among others, to oversee beekeeping work in Chitwan through the help of GTZ - INCLUDE and to present a donation of Euros 2000 to GTZ’s partner, the Federation of Nepal Beekeepers (FNBK), to help in the establishment of a carpentry factory for construction of beehives at Padampur, Chitwan, through Milijuli Beekeeping Cooperative Limited. The External Affairs and Regional Communication Team (ERT) of INCLUDE caught up with her for a short chat. Excerpts:

ERT: Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself? Silke: I am editor-in-chief of a German beekeeping journal called Bienen Journal which belongs to a publishing house specialized in agricultural magazines. Our journal is read mainly by hobby beekeepers throughout Germany and around 17 thousand copies are printed every month. The company is situated right in the centre of Berlin and has some hives on the roof of its five-storey building which produce excellent honey. 

ERT: Is this your first time to Nepal? Silke: Actually, it is my second time. My first visit was in July 2007 - I was then in Kathmandu with a friend to see the Himalayan region. What I saw convinced me that Nepal is worth coming back and the diversity of Nepalese beekeeping gave me the idea of the beekeepers’ journey.

ERT: How did your present journey to Nepal and its beekeepers come about? Silke: Before I came to Nepal for the first time, I told some German bee specialists about my travel plans. They advised me to get in touch with a Dr. Surendra Joshi who was then working with GTZ Nepal. Dr. Joshi then gave me a good insight in Nepalese beekeeping. Together we discussed the idea about advertising a beekeeping journey, including a trip to the honey hunters. 

ERT: You are here with quite a sizable group - how did you assemble this group? Are they regular readers of your magazine or simple people with curiosities about Nepal? Silke: We published our plans for this journey in our February issue and the response was just astounding – the trip was completely booked by the next day, along with a waiting list! Our group is comprised of readers of our magazine, which means they are all beekeepers, and they had a big interest in both seeing the beauty of Nepal as well as the state of beekeeping here.

ERT: Can you please elaborate a little about your group’s donation to the FNBK? What are your expectations and hopes in the future? Silke: When we planned the trip, we decided that we wanted not just to come and see Nepal but also to try and make things a little bit easier for Nepali beekeepers. In my beekeeping experience, I have learnt that for people in rural areas, beekeeping is quite an efficient and simple method to improve their life standards. But still, you do need some capital to get started.  

We included an extra amount of 100 Euros for people who booked the journey. Also, our travel agency was kind enough to make concessions for us. And my company also agreed to help for other expenses. Thus, we could contribute a decent amount, which, as I hear, is enough to build up a carpentry unit for hive making in Milijuli Beekeeping Cooperative Limited. We were very grateful for the help of GTZ, who offered their help and facilitation of this process and is now helping with the distribution of our donation.

ERT: What has been the highlight of your trip? Silke: We have seen so many stunning things, regarding nature, culture and beekeeping. The highlight was the trip to the honey hunters in the Annapurna region. It was breathtaking to see men hanging on a small rope and ladder in such steep hills and mountains and harvesting honey of wild bees.  

ERT: Do you plan on coming back again? Silke: For sure. I have been here twice and will certainly come back again. I would like to see the remote regions in western Nepal, like Dolpa, and come back to Chitwan, to see how Milijuli is doing. I am sure some friendships will be established, so some of the beekeepers will come back too.

ERT: How have your friends felt about this journey? Silke: For some, this has been ‘a journey of a lifetime.’ Some of them might not be able to come back again, but I am sure that they will tell their children and grandchildren about this trip.  

ERT: Thank you for your time, Silke. Silke: Thank you very much, it has been nice meeting you.