Help Gaza’s Beekeepers Get Back to Work ❤️

Hello, my name is Craig. I’m a hobby beekeeper from Chesterfield, and I am fundraising on behalf of the Gaza Beekeepers Cooperative Association and its members.

This is not my story; it is theirs. With their full trust and permission, I am sharing their story to raise support, stand alongside them, and help bring their voices to the beekeeping community and supporters around the world.

This campaign began with a simple belief: that the beekeeping community can stand together and support one another, even when thousands of miles separate us.

*Who are we?*

The Gaza Beekeepers Cooperative Association was established in 2004 and is licensed by the Palestinian Ministry of Labour.

For more than twenty years, the association has worked to serve and support beekeepers by:

Providing beekeeping supplies and production inputs at affordable prices.

Helping beekeepers market their products and honey.

Representing and defending beekeepers’ interests with official authorities.

Organising specialised beekeeping training courses.

Introducing beekeepers to the latest scientific methods and techniques.

Helping them combat parasites and diseases that threaten their bee colonies.

The association has been an essential part of beekeepers’ lives, providing important support as they developed their businesses and protected their livelihoods.

Beekeeping… a livelihood for entire families

For many years, beekeeping was a source of income for numerous families across Gaza.

Beekeepers relied on their knowledge and hard work to care for their colonies and produce honey, providing for their families and building a source of income that allowed them to support their loved ones.

But since October 7, 2023, their lives have changed dramatically.

Gaza has experienced widespread destruction, and the beekeeping sector has suffered significant losses.

Approximately 30,000 bee colonies belonging to beekeepers affiliated with the association were lost. The association’s headquarters and warehouses were also destroyed, leaving it without much of the infrastructure and resources it needs to continue supporting its members.

These losses were not simply the loss of bee colonies.

They represented years of work, experience and investment — and the loss of a source of income that entire families depended upon.

Today, the association represents 905 beekeepers, including 105 women beekeepers, who are facing extremely difficult circumstances after losing much of their ability to work.

*Why are we launching this campaign?*

Today, beekeepers need more than humanitarian assistance. They also need an opportunity to return to work and regain their independence.

This campaign aims to help them overcome the impact of the losses they have suffered, recover as many bee colonies and pieces of equipment as possible, and gradually begin rebuilding their businesses and livelihoods.

Restoring a bee colony means more than restoring honey production. It is a step towards restoring a family’s livelihood.

*How will the funds be used?*

The funds raised will be directed according to the actual needs and priorities of affected beekeepers and the resources available. This may include:

Providing direct financial assistance to affected beekeepers to help them cope with difficult living conditions after losing their sources of income.

Providing food and essential supplies to the families most severely affected by the loss of their livelihoods.

Providing bee colonies, beekeeping supplies and essential equipment to help beekeepers restart their activities and gradually return to work.

Supporting affected women beekeepers and helping them rebuild their economic activities.

Providing training and technical support to help beekeepers care for their colonies and restore production.

*Campaign timeline*

In the first phase, our goal is to raise €10,000 within one month. This will allow us to begin supporting the most severely affected beekeepers and help meet some of their urgent needs.

Once this target is reached, we will work to extend the campaign and move into a second phase, with the aim of expanding the support to reach more beekeepers, according to their needs and the resources available.

As far as possible, campaign progress and updates about the support and assistance provided will be documented and shared on this page, allowing donors to see the impact of their contributions.

Transparency and accountability

We believe that trust is the foundation of this campaign.

For this reason, we will document the different stages of the campaign and the assistance provided, and share updates, photographs and information about our progress on this page whenever possible.

Our goal is for everyone who contributes to this campaign to be able to see the impact they have helped create.

*How can you help?*

❤️ If you are unable to donate, you can still help us in another way.

Please share this campaign with your family, friends and colleagues, and help us bring the story of Gaza’s beekeepers to more people around the world.

Sometimes, one share can reach someone who is able to make a real difference.

Help us bring back the bees… and bring back hope ❤️

We are trying to give 905 beekeepers an opportunity to return to work, support 105 women beekeepers in rebuilding their livelihoods, and help the families who depend on beekeeping for their daily lives.

Help Gaza’s beekeepers get back to work.

And help us bring the bees back to their hives… and bring hope back to their families. ❤️

For enquiries or more information

Phone / WhatsApp: +972598806606

Our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DmuHsgkhD/

Email: [email redacted]