Our three new volunteers on a honey mission

This autumn, a group of three adventurers set out for Kashitu. Radek – an experienced beekeeping teacher – and his two assistants, Sofi and Andrea, met for the first time at Václav Havel Airport in Prague. Even a canceled flight didn't stop their mission. When they finally saw the faces of their teammates for the next three weeks, they knew the journey would succeed, even if they had to improvise along the way.

Johannesburg? Nairobi? Cape Town? In the end, they made it! After a stroll through Istanbul, a stopover in Nairobi, they finally landed in Lusaka – tired but smiling. They had no idea what kind of adventure awaited them before reaching Kashitu in the north, a place they had only heard about.

The mission is clear:

Together with the locals, we'll introduce new beekeeping technology and help kick-start honey production – build a solar wax melter, improve hive prototypes, refine honey-cleaning methods, and finish the honey house. Everything to make local honey production run smoothly and sustainably.

Our three volunteers quickly connected with the community and learned that time flows differently here. They explored the site – workshop, chicken coops, hives, kindergarten, school, church – and got to work.

The tasks are clear too:

Radek carries the core knowledge and skills – the know-how of the entire honey mission. He immediately bonded with Thomas, a local beekeeper, and together they inspected wild bees and hives. Then he dove into assembling melters, building hives, and consulting with anyone who passed by. Radek's energy surprises everyone – the only thing more inspiring might be a Zambian chicken coop.

Sofi is the team's main engineer and communicator, overseeing the construction of a new chicken coop and honey house, plus countless other tasks we won't list so Andrea doesn't feel bad.

Andrea came as the team doctor, ensuring safety and well-being. That's why she took everyone on an hour-long bike ride through the safari – and then needed Radek's headache pills herself.

The team is halfway through their stay – they've experienced a lot, and much more is ahead. What are their impressions so far?

Radek:
"The bees here are smaller – Apis mellifera scutellata. Splitting colonies to prevent swarming is done pretty roughly – the hive is divided in half, and the queenless part raises a new queen on its own. I'm glad they've started simple selection – basic breeding. And the local mentality… sometimes I could jump out of my skin. With Andrea and Sofi, I'd go to the ends of the earth – I knew that from day one!"

Sofi:
"I was really looking forward to this, and the reality is even more intense. So far, we've finished the honey house so honey can be processed, started building the chicken coop, and made two solar wax melters with the carpenters. If you accept delays in materials and tropical rains – you can get quite a lot done here. I love how everyone pulls together when needed… even if they usually do everything the opposite way. That doesn't surprise me anymore. I'd be surprised if they built something exactly as agreed."

Andrea:
"Nothing goes as planned… but that's okay. The team's health is good so far, so I take them out for small workouts – climbing hills, biking for melons – to keep them active. I checked the surgical suture kits, and we still have plenty."