"I never imagined myself wearing a beekeeping suit one day. The training not only taught me how to produce honey, but it also taught me to believe in my abilities and rely on myself. Now, I have hope to help my family and support my children." This is what one of the women expressed during the beekeeping training.
Given the difficult economic conditions and social challenges that women face, beekeeping training holds significant importance. Therefore, the team of the Syrian Society for Social Development, in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Syria, conducted beekeeping training at Roya Space, Daraa.
The training included 13 participants and over 60 hours, they learned both practical and theoretical skills, such as visiting apiaries, inspecting hives, visiting a carpentry workshop to learn about the manufacturing of wooden boxes and frames, making candy paste, feeding bees, disease control, understanding the bee colony, observing worker bees' activities outside the hive, harvesting propolis and pollen, splitting and merging hives, queen rearing, honey production, caring for bee colonies, caging queens during nectar flows, extracting royal jelly and bee venom, recognizing pastures and assessing their quality, and identifying and combating bee pests.
Additionally, the training provided women with skills in planning, bookkeeping, marketing, negotiation, and other essential skills needed for the success of their work. This training contributes to creating stable job opportunities in beekeeping, empowering women with financial independence, and improving their ability to support their families and enhance their standard of living.
In conclusion, some of the women shared their thoughts: "Today, I challenged myself and everyone who told me I couldn’t do it. Step by step, during both the practical and theoretical training, I started thinking about my own project even before the training ended. I’m very excited, and I will become a great beekeeper." Another woman said: "I rediscovered myself. This training gave me the confidence I had lost, and my voice is now heard because I had once dreamed of a different kind of training that would make me an inspirational woman capable of working."
Translated by AI