BUILDING CLIMATE-SMART VALUE CHAINS AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL

Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority is honoured to have delivered a targeted capacity-building session for 50 members of the Musekavo Community Forest Association in Kitui Central (Kyanguithia East).

The session focused on modern bee keeping as a dual strategy for environmental protection and climate-resilient livelihood development. The training went beyond basic sensitization and provided practical, technical competencies in:

• Colony management – structured inspections, disease prevention, and productivity optimization
• Apiary setup and site selection – efficient hive placement, layout, and environmental considerations
• Quality assurance – production standards that enable CFA members to compete in structured markets
• Honeybee biology and behavior – knowledge-driven management rooted in science
• Bee flora and ecosystem dynamics – mapping forage diversity and linking biodiversity to hive performance

This training reflects on TARDA’s broader strategy of repositioning natural resources as economic assets for communities while reducing pressure on forests and restoring degraded ecosystems. It also equipped the community to generate structured income while actively protecting the forests that sustain them. This is basin development in motion—skills, markets, environmental stewardship, and measurable socio-economic value. The Training Workshop was supported by sector stakeholders including representatives from the County Forest Conservator’s office, CFA leadership from the Eastern Conservancy, NGAOS (Chiefs), and local administrators—ensuring governance alignment and long-term institutional anchoring.