This document summarizes the work of Guiding Hope, a Cameroonian enterprise that works with women beekeepers. It operates in the Bamenda highlands and Adamaoua savannah regions, supporting beekeepers through training and ensuring fair prices. Its mission is to develop sustainable and profitable trade of honey, beeswax, and other apiculture products. It takes a value chain approach to empower supplier communities and address their needs while producing organically and sustainably. Key activities include hive production, honey harvesting, wax processing, quality control, market access, and environmental protection projects like reforestation.

1. Guiding Hope Verina Ingram
NBV Zeist
Women in Apiculture in Cameroon
Vrouwen van Nu, Zeist
31 August 2016

2. WHERE WE WORK

3. Bamenda
highlands

4. Adamaoua
savannah

5. WHO WE ARE
 Guiding Hope (Guide d’Espoir) Cameroonian
enterprise
 Founded in 2005, incorporated in 2007
 Our mission is to develop environmentally and
socially responsible, fair yet profitable trade of
apiculture products
 Hive products: Organic honey, beeswax & propolis
 By-products: Soaps, candles, creams etc.

6. Business Model
 Strategy to
 guide producers with information and training,
 ensuring fair prices, and
 access new, near and distant market opportunities
we ultimately aim to assure the relay between
disadvantaged producers of high-value apiculture
products and equitable markets.

7. Our philosophy
PEOPLE
PLANETPROFIT

8. Commitment to sustainability
 Economic: take a value chain approach to ensure
fair prices & salaries
 Social: work closely with our supplier communities
to empower & equip them and ensure their needs
are addressed in our activities; setting up GH
foundation
 Environmental: production processes strictly
organic & environmentally sustainable; engage in
reforestation and conservation activities

9. APICULTURE: HOW WE DO IT

10. Adamaoua
savanna
hives

11. Bamenda
highlands
Traditional
hives

12. and modern

13. Collecting bamboo for hive production

14. Opportunistic
Higher quantity
propolis
Wild harvest

15. Harvesting

16. Harvesting

17. Traditional and modern

18. Problems

19. Wax – small scale

20. Wax production

21. Wax production

23. Wax – large scale

24. Wax – large scale

25. Storage

26. Quality control
 Filtering
 HMF
 Record keeping
for traceability

27. Collection center inauguration with village suppliers, March 2009

28.  Processing – wax candles

29.  Processing - soap

30. Quality and marketing
 Conducting market research
 Work with government and sector representatives
 gain access for Cameroon to export markets
 create national standards for honey production & quality
 establish accountability for apiculture sector
 Obtained Organic, Ethical Trade certification and
Community Trade (Body Shop) for our products
 Lobby for Cameroon honey rights: formed Cameroon
Union of Exporters of Apiculture Products and Apiculture
Interprofession, Apitrade Africa

31. Transport !

32. Retailing

33.  Products

34.  Certified organic production
 Best beekeeping practices with minimal impact
 Raising awareness of forage sources
 Forest protection
 Planting & regeneration - hive materials
 Footprint & Environmental Impact Assessment
 Reducing fuel inputs and waste streams
 Collaborate with others – learn & share
Environmental aspects

35. Community reforestation
Afforestation

36. Guiding Hope in the Netherlands

37. Merci!
guidinghope@yahoo.fr
www.guidinghope.com
“Pa” Paul Nzegha Mzeka,
Director, Apiculture and Nature Conservation Organization
UN Forest Hero 2011