From Reluctance to Resilience: The Inspiring Beekeeping Journey of Mawuko Kpeglo

In 2019, Bees for Development Ghana introduced sustainable beekeeping to the communities of Apesika and Kodjobator in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District. The aim was simple yet profound: to replace destructive honey hunting with a nature-friendly livelihood that builds income, resilience, and environmental stewardship.

While many of the trainees quickly embraced beekeeping, one man—Mawuko Kpeglo of Kodjobator—was hesitant. He saw hive construction, particularly using the traditional Borassus palm method, as a daunting task. And so, despite the training, he held back.

But beekeeping success stories began to emerge in the community. Issaka Abubakari bought a tricycle with his honey profits. Abdul Shafik Asminu and his father built a new cement block house.

Mr and Mrs Issah supported their children’s tertiary education through their beekeeping income. These visible impacts lit a spark in Mawuko after a few years.

By 2022, he had built his first 4 Borassus beehives. Three years later, in May 2025, Mawuko manages 32 hives, with 18 active colonies, in a landscape increasingly affected by climate change. His story is one of determination, transformation, and hope.

Mawuko at a training workshop learning to make a bamboo hive

Beekeeping is now central to Mawuko’s livelihood strategy. He uses honey at home for food and health, and in 2024, he sold GH₵1,300.00 worth of honeycomb to the Honey and Beeswax Trade Centre in Donkorkrom. He reinvested part of the earnings into hive construction and used the rest to support his family’s basic needs.

Yet 2024 was also a year of hardship. Severe droughts, limited rainfall, and rampant bushfires hit farming and beekeeping hard. Many beekeepers lost hope, but Mawuko stood firm.

In early 2025, despite the challenges, he sold 70.8 kg of honeycomb for GH₵2,124.00. “When I heard that I earned GH₵2,124.00 from selling just 70.8 kg of honeycombs, I thought I was dreaming,” Mawuko shared.

He added, “I will use a percentage of the money to stock my boutique with clothes and the remaining amount to take care of my family.”

Mawuko’s transformation from skeptic to resilient beekeeper goes beyond income. He’s also thinking long-term. As part of the Beekeepers Restore the Forests of Afram Plains Project, supported by the Darwin Initiative (UK Government), he planted 5 mahogany and 5 moringa trees.

These species were chosen to improve bee forage and restore degraded landscapes. Mawuko is proud to contribute to the future of beekeeping in his area through both action and advocacy.

Mawuko Kpeglo is checking the weight of the buckets of honeycombs he brought to BfDG Honey and Beeswax Trade Centre

Mawuko Kpeglo’s story is more than a personal triumph. It illustrates the power of sustainable beekeeping as a climate-resilient, nature-based livelihood.

His journey—from seeing hive construction as too difficult to becoming a dedicated beekeeper who thrives even in harsh conditions—serves as inspiration for many in the Afram Plains and beyond.

Through his determination and the support of Bees for Development Ghana and its partners, Mawuko is proving that even in the face of adversity, beekeeping can be a pathway to prosperity and environmental regeneration.