Looking Back on Our Beekeeping Mission

Our beekeepers returned from honey mission just before Christmas, and now is the right time to look back on their time in Kashitu.

Radek, Sofi, and Andrea fell so much in love with Africa that leaving their new home in Zambia was far from easy. Warm weather, new friends who are already almost speaking Czech, mangoes, romantic evenings without electricity, unforgettable food… and finally, the very first flowing honey. All of this became part of their everyday reality.

It is true that the containers were not filled with honey quite as much as everyone had dreamed. However, the main mission was successfully accomplished: two workshops were held with full demonstrations of honey processing, and local beekeepers now know exactly what to do and how to do it. The know-how stayed on site — and that is what matters most.

Toward the end of the stay, there came a moment when all three adventurers found themselves asking the same question: what now? Only a few days remained. No flight cancellation announcement arrived, the heavy rains never came, the car broke down on the way to Lusaka "only" once, and even the tense, last-minute arrival at the airport did not change their fate. They made the flight and returned to the Czech Republic.

Here are the observations and impressions of the individual expedition participants:

Radek

"The first day in Kashitu we had honey for breakfast that was full of bits of wax… by the time we left, the breakfast honey was already clean. We provided the locals with tools and procedures for more efficient and cleaner production of honey and wax. We built two solar wax melters, which we even managed to test — and they work great. Further beekeepers will now be trained by the head beekeeper, Thomas. We didn't manage to complete the new hive prototype this year — communication with carpenters is simply more challenging… but at least they now pronounce my name correctly! What I miss most are Lorejža and Mamba… I wish I had at least one helper at hand here at home as well. In Zambia, I gained many insights into local farming and daily life, as well as plenty of valuable experiences. I lost only a few nerves — and a meter."

Sofi
"Interpreting for Radek was sometimes a challenge… 'Hand me the square bit for the frame screw…'.
The local builders changed the layout of the chicken coop several times without consultation, and in the end we accepted one of the later versions as suitable. I think about a month and a half in Kashitu would be ideal — three weeks were a bit hectic, but we still managed to accomplish a lot and fully enjoy our free time. Now that I'm back home, I tell stories about the experience… but I feel that only those who have experienced Zambia firsthand can truly understand."

Andrea
"I was still wearing a chitenge skirt and sandals while stepping off the plane in the Czech Republic — I didn't want to accept that I was no longer in Africa. I would have stayed longer, even if it meant fully immersing myself in local accounting. The stay was very pleasant, and no medical intervention was needed, not even during our sandy cardio training sessions on bicycles. It was a joy to travel with such a fit and motivated team. I believe Radek could make it into the national team — he handles ultra-fast pacing around termite mounds remarkably well when retreating from bees… and Sofi could now lead the construction of anything, even pyramids."

What's next?

A lot was accomplished in Kashitu, but the potential of both the place and its people is much greater. If the team returns next year — and we would very much like to send them again — they will be working on building a new hive, further beekeeper training, a sewing project, improvements to the honey-processing facility… and who knows, perhaps there will even be time for a short safari.