MADIKERI: In the misty hill country of Kodagu, the bee offers hope. Apiculture has been one of the main economic activities of the region, known for its coffee, pepper and tourism, while Coorg honey is said to be rich in medicinal properties.
Tapping into the ancient activity of bee-rearing, the Swastha Centre for Special Education and Rehabilitation in Kodagu is striving to establish a sustainable society for persons with disabilities, especially in the rural areas of the district. Started in the year 2003, Swastha Institution is managed by The Coorg Foundation Trust.
While educating students with special abilities has been the focus of the institution, it is also involved in providing vocational training to enable the rehabilitation of children. In a country where a day is observed each year to promote the wellness and rights of persons with disabilities, it can be challenging to create an inclusive environment for them, and keep it going too.
The community-based rehabilitation initiative of the institution is empowering many persons with disabilities (PwD) in the rural parts of Kodagu. What is unique is that the institution has introduced beekeeping and is training them in the vocation, said to be the first-of-its-kind initiative in the country.
“Receiving support from the Horticulture department, the institution first trained 25 students in beekeeping in 2017,” explained Arathy Somaiah, director of the institution. Though the students were trained in the vocation, opportunities to earn from it were bleak. Hence, the institution looked to establish an agrarian system to create opportunities for self-employment, which also promotes economic growth.
“The institution sought help from NABARD, and the 25 students were further trained for three years. Beehive boxes were handed over to them, and the first bee harvest was sold last year. The students earned incentives and have now set up beehive boxes in their homes,” said Arathy. To ensure that the students don’t face any challenges in beekeeping at home, the institution extended training to their parents too. Persons with disabilities were identified across Karike, Bhagamandala, Sampaje and Madenadu villages, trained in beekeeping and given beehive boxes.
“There is a government scheme where beehive boxes are provided at subsidised rates if residents provide RTC documents of the land. Through this scheme, beehive boxes were given to them, and they were trained by the horticulture department,” explained Arathy. The harvest from the community rearing in the district was collected by the institution; it was processed, purified and bottled at the Research and Development sector of Tata Coffee.
“The honey extracted and processed is free of adulteration, and marketed under the Swastha label. The profits are paid to the bee rearers. A trained staffer from the institution visits the rural areas once a month to help them handle the work of beekeeping, and helps them in the cleaning process. Once the harvest is ready, they help them extract and collect the honey. They have the option to market the harvest through Swastha or any other means,” she shared.
While the beekeeping initiative is running successfully, the institution is looking at providing them with holistic training. It aims to identify persons with disabilities in all the taluks, and establish a ‘Beekeeping Society of Persons with Disabilities’ soon in the district. The institution also plans to train them to plant beefriendly trees and shrubs in rural areas. Kodagu has a large number of massive bee-nesting trees.
“The establishment of the beekeeping society will ensure sustainable and inclusive living. It will help generate self-employment, rural employment and economic growth,” concluded Arathy.