For many beekeeping communities, honey is often the primary product associated with the hive. But bees offer more than honey—and for women in Shinyalu, Kakamega County, beeswax is opening new possibilities for income diversification and enterprise development.
WWANC brought together women from Virhembe, Upendo, Shelelo and Vasanji Women’s Groups for a one-day practical training on beeswax value addition, equipping participants with hands-on skills to transform raw beeswax into marketable products.
The training took participants through the complete production process, from preparing and processing beeswax to producing finished soap, body jelly and candles. The practical approach enabled the women to learn by doing while exploring how simple, locally available resources can be transformed into products with additional market value.
For the participating women, the training introduced a new way of looking at beekeeping. Rather than focusing solely on honey production, they can now explore opportunities to utilise beeswax, diversify their products and create additional income streams from their beekeeping enterprises.
Implemented in partnership with Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA), the training forms part of WWANC’s continued efforts to equip grassroots women with practical enterprise skills that strengthen economic empowerment, sustainable livelihoods and community resilience.
By expanding the value derived from beekeeping, women are not only creating new products—they are creating new opportunities for their households and communities
