Xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxx Maasai Women’s Beekeeping Project When you f inish f illing out the f orm you will receive a conf irmation email that, at the same time, will allow you to return to your request to make changes or additional editions. The Grant Cycle is open f rom Monday, February 17th and closes on Friday, March 20th at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. Successf ul projects will be announced on Friday, June 19th, f or starting in or af ter July 2020 The name and photo associated with your Google account will be recorded when you upload f iles and submit this f orm. Organization Inf ormation and Structure Please provide the information listed below. Organization Name: Medungi Conservation Foundation Contact First Name: John Contact Last Name: Smith Contact Title or Position: Board Member and Projects Coordinator Address Line 1: PO Box xxx Address Line 2: City: xxxxx State or Province: xxxxx Postal Code: xxxxx Country: KENYA Phone: 07450 XXX XX Email: johnsmith@gmail.com Website: http://xxx.org/ Facebook Page: xxxxxxx Twitter Account: None YouTube Channel: None Instagram Account: xxxxxxxxxx Vimeo Channel: None History of the organization Please describe the origins of your organization: how it was created, and to serve what purpose? Xxxxxxx Conservation Foundation is an indigenous-owned and run community conservation organization f ounded and led by members of the Xxxx Xxxx Maasai community in 2011 to advocate f or common land rights and sustain traditional livelihoods through sustainable conservation and culturally sensitive initiatives. The organization works with Maasai communities in the surrounding area to adopt lif estyles that are f riendly to the environment and to engage in development and economic activities that secure their livelihoods while minimizing impacts to the environment through spiritual and cultural traditions. A key component of the organization is the Xxxx Xxxx Maasai Women’s Project, established to f acilitate the ability of local indigenous women to lead the way in providing sustainable f ood security, whilst retaining traditional lif estyles. Pressures f rom land privatization, widespread drought caused by climate change, and enrollment in classroom education are some of the challenges to the Maasai ability to continue their pastoralist lif e and serve as historically important protectors of wildlif e and nature, with which they have peacef ully cohabitated with f or generations. Xxxxxx strives to support the women in the project in f inding innovative ways to f eed their f amilies in a environment ally conscious way within their indigenous culture, pref erably through work that is traditional in their heritage. Past successf ul endeavors were in beadwork and construction of traditional homes - now they are pursuing beekeeping, which is also an activity of great cultural importance within Maasai tradition. Date of Founding: September 27, 20XX What is the organizational leadership structure and composition? (Please list the names, roles, and Indigenous or tribal affiliations of each member within your organization, if applicable) Xxxxxx Xxx Xxxxx (Indigenous Maasai) Xxxxxxx Conservation Foundation Founder and Chairman, Founding leader of Xxxx Xxxx Maasai Women’s Project Kenya Mobile/WhatsApp: +254 XXX XXXXXX / Email: person.a@gmail.com Xxxxxx Xxx Xxxxx (Indigenous Maasai) Xxxxxx Conservation Foundation Director and Treasurer, Operations Director f or Xxxxxx of Xxxxxxxxxx Kenya Kenya Mobile/WhatsApp: +254 XXX XXXXXX / Email: person.b@gmail.com Xxxxx Xxxxx (Indigenous Maasai) Xxxxxxx Conservation Foundation Secretary Kenya Mobile/WhatsApp: +254 XXX XXXXXX Xxxxx Xxxxxxx (British, working with the community since 2016) Xxxxxxx Conservation Foundation Board Member and Projects Coordinator, Volunteer f or Xxxx Xxxx Maasai Women’s Project UK Mobile/WhatsApp: +44 XXXX XXXXXX / Email: person.c@gmail.com FULL REGISTE R OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN BE PROVIDED IF NEEDED Has the organization previously applied for a grant from the Xxxxx Xxxx Foundation? No Does the organization have non-profit or tax-exempt status? Yes: Xxxxxxx Conservation Foundation is established as a Community Based Non-Prof it Organization in Kenya. See supporting documentation, Document S1, title: Certificate of Non-Profit Registration. Indicate if there is a bank account under the organization’s name: Yes We have a fiscal sponsor: No Project Inf ormation Name of the project: Xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxx Maasai Women’s Beekeeping Project Indigenous or tribal affiliation of the group(s) that will participate in the project: xxXxxxx Clan of Maasai Tribe, Maasai Mara Project location: Xxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx County, Kenya Is your organization located in the same community where the project will be implemented? Yes If the previous answer was “No”, please explain why: Describe the project participants: If possible, include the number of beneficiari es, their gender, and their age group - children, youth, adults and/or elders. 35 Maasai women and their children (approximately 50 children) 25 Maasai elders and medicine people 40 Additional Maasai f amilies of 3 to 8 people each 150 School Children Project Team - please list the name, role and indigenous or tribal affiliation of each project team member : Xxxxxxx Xxx Xxxxx - Maasai Xxxxxxx Conservation Foundation Founder and CEO, f ounding leader of Xxxx Xxxx Maasai Women’s Project. ROLE: community engagement, f inancial oversight. Xxxxxxx Xxx Xxxxxx - Maasai Xxxxxxx Conservation Foundation Director, Operations Director f or Xxxxxx xx Xxxxxxxxxx Kenya ROLE: project management, operations, budget management Xxxxxx Xxxxx - Maasai Young adult woman, currently enrolled in Medical Training College ROLE: women’s liaison of f icer, chairperson project committee, daily oversight of training received by women Xxxxxxxx Xxx Xxxx – Maasai Young adult male, currently employed as Manager in Xxxx Xxxx Eco Camp ROLE: project technical lead, lead beekeeper, beekeeping trainer Xxxxx Xxxxxx – Kikuyu Lead Consultant at Xxxxx Xxxx Beekeeping Services, Nairobi ROLE: remote advisory role, on-site consultancy at quarterly intervals Volunteers – Kenyan and International See supporting documentation, Document S2, title: Project Team CVs and/or Biographies. Project start date: August 1, 2020 Project end date: July 31, 2021 Project Focus Area - please indicate which of the following areas your project falls under. It may be more than one area, check all that apply: The women’s beekeeping project is linked to the f ollowing f ocus areas: Awareness The project aims to raise awareness of the cultural signif icance of bees and honey within Maasai tradition, engaging both locals - through community engagement, and visitors f rom around the world - through the Xxxx Xxxx Maasai Cultural Camp. Activities involved in raising awareness will include: the use of honey in traditional healing ceremonies led by local medicine people; workshops led by project team in schools to communicate the traditional role of honey within Maasai ceremony and nutrition, and the generation of support f or protecting indigenous practices in addition to bolstering the success of related conservation projects f or indigenous and holy trees. Earth stewardship Earth stewardship has always been a key tenet of Maasai culture, living a nomadic lif e in close connection with wildlif e and natural surroundings. Traditional spiritual practices emphasize the sacred interconnectedness of nature and human lif e. The Maasai have remained at the f ront-line of environmental preservation, even as their sacred and communal lands become targets f or privatization and economic gain, and their nomadic lif estyle regarded as incompatible with conventional visions of national development. This beekeeping project will allow the local Maasai community to retain their traditional roles in protecting the environment, as well as generating the honey needed f or nutrition, medicine, ceremony, and sales f or sustainable livelihood. With modernized hives and the consultation of skilled apiarists, honey will be harvested without damaging the bee population, supporting a healthy presence of bees . This will increase the pollination of all surrounding trees in an area of widespread def orestation due to f irewood collection, as well as strengthening the nearby organic community f arm project. A women-operated beekeeping enterprise will support the Foundation’s tree nursery of 800+ medicinal and holy trees and plants, enabling them to f lourish. These tree species are f ast disappearing f rom the surrounding environment, and a project that increased bee presence in the local ecosystem will help to saf eguard the survival of these endangered species. These trees will also then be the source of an ef f ort to select, cultivate, recover and manage a seed bank f or traditional species of ancestral medicinal and sacred plants f or generations to come. Education In this age of cultural erosion, prioritizing education on traditional ways is urgently needed to ensure the transmission of knowledge to the next generation. In 20XX, Xxxxxx Xxx Xxxxx and several other community leaders established the Xxxxxx Xxxx community school, which works to integrate Maasai culture into both the national curriculum and daily practices. Traditional Maasai robes (shukas), f ootwear and jewelry are the required school unif orm, and teachers balance the required courses on Christianity with education on Maasai spirituality and talks f rom visiting elders. Regular visits to the beekeeping project will engage children in f un, saf e, and accessible elements of beekeeping and hive management, and teach the importance of honey in nutrition, medicine, and sacred traditional ceremonies in Maasai culture. The project team, together with volunteers, will also create presentations and beekeeping demonstrations, to take place in a classroom environment. The school will also benef it f rom sharing in the harvest of the honey in the school f eeding program, and students can see f irst-hand how apiary management skills could of fer a livelihood or them in the f uture, while still supporting their local cultural traditions. This use of modern equipment and techniques combined with traditional uses allows f or a bridging of new and old ways, to assist in the inevitable evolution that indigenous people f ace in embracing the benef its of economic and technological development while still holding the sacred heart of their belief s and practices. Food and Healing This project will combine the value of sustenance, generation of awareness of how the earth continually supports us, and the role of sacred f ood as medicine f or our bodies, minds, and spirits. It is essential to recover the medicinal, ceremonial and nutritional benef its of honey that are embedded in Maasai tradition to ensure that these live on f rom generation to generation. By reconnecting indigenous people, through indigenous people (rather than non-indigenous educators and/or other parties) to this awareness that all things come f rom nature, they can become empowered to revitalize their sacred and traditional heritage of healing through plants and f oods from their local environment. Language, Art, and Culture By integrating these into actual hands-on experiences, this project will provide a purpose and context in which to speak the words of ancestors and live the art and culture of a people. The process of creating and sharing practical beekeeping knowledge as well as the traditional cultural uses of honey, through traditional words, songs, and stories, will create a “real lif e” experience across generations. This deep learning is required to truly prevent a loss of language and heritage as young people increasingly move into urbanized areas. The survival of Indigenous cultures relies on youth and those distant f rom the traditional community receiving, embodying, and eventually passing on the wisdom of their elders. This project will encourage both local youth and distant Maasai to become guardians of ancestral wisdom, recovering the customs that provide a sense of cultural identity and that will inspire them to take care of their land and natural resources. Youth Young members of the Maasai community of ten f ace a diminishing connection to their indigenous roots, as they experience competing inf luences through school, technology, and pressure f rom religious organizations. It is more critical than ever that they have access to the teachings of their local elders to remain connected to their culture and make their way f orward in the world with a robust sense of identity. Heavily inf luenced by Western culture and social media, many young people seek to live the f alse stereotypes displayed on such platf orms and abandon their mother tongue and traditions in search of what they see as a more vibrant and aspirational lif e. This project seeks to address these problems by giving local youth a sense of belonging to their place of origin, their mother tongue and their traditions, helping f oster cultural identity, strength, and dignity. Through workshops and conversations about caring f or the earth (understood as Enkai, or God), indigenous Maasai self -determination and land use, spirituality, rites and myths, young people will be given an opportunity to reconnect with and reclaim their cultural identity. The project leaders, along with village elders and teachers at the community schoo l will use the topics of beekeeping and honey as a mechanism to inf use learning experiences with teachings on indigenous tradition, culture, language, ceremony, and healing. Students will have hands-on experience in caring f or hives, harvesting honey, and engaging in the blessings and other rituals. This will f acilitate a tangible discussion point f or different generations within the local community to establish a mutual understanding of the role of education, the importance of Maasai culture, and the idea that education does not need to be a threat such cultural traditions. Project Budget Please indicate all amounts in U.S. dollars. Amount requested to be provided by the Xxxxx Xxxx Foundation: $5000 Total project budget: $5000 Project Budget Upload: Please upload a detailed budget of your project specifying how the requested funds would be used. Remember to include the contribution of Indigenous participants (the contributi on need not be quantifiabl e). If available, please include other sources of income, the name(s) of funders, and support amount(s). Please indicate all amounts in U.S. dollars. See supporting documentation, Document S3, title: Project Budget. If possible, provide references from past/current funders of your organization Please include organization name, contact name, and contact email. See supporting documentation, Documents S4 and S5, titles: Letter of Support 1, Letter of Support 2. Narrative Content Project Statement - in one paragraph, share with us a description of the project you are requesting funds for and explain in detail why these funds are needed and how they will be utilized: Bees and honey are a sacred part of Maasai tradition, deeply integrated into their traditional f ood, medicine, rituals and blessing ceremonies. Due to the devastating impacts of def orestation, pesticide use, and droug ht caused by climate change, the local bee population has declined . This in turn negatively ef f ects the pollination of local plants and trees, creating a vicious ecological circle which f urther intensif ies drought and desertif ication in the region. This project seeks to increase the presence of bees in the local environment, supporting the production of honey f or use in traditional medicine and ceremony. Nothing in nature stands in isolation, so this project will also positively support other local s ocial and ecological programs, such as our 800+ tree nursery of medicinal and holy trees, and the organic community f arm. The project technical team will use f unds to purchase 20 KTBH and 10 Langstroth hives, 10 catcher boxes, 15 beekeeping suits, and related equipment. They will work to populate the hives with bees, to distribute the honey produced to local communities, to engage and train local women in beekeeping and/or related maintenance/processing activities, to support local women in starting their own apiaries, to document the sacred, medicinal and nutritional uses of the harvested honey (including written and audio recordings of sacred chants and prayers associated with the traditions ), and to conduct educational events in the local community school. The vision is f or at least 100 local Maasai f amilies to be spiritually, nutritionally, culturally, and economically empowered, through sustainable management of local resources and ensuring that their culture is preserved f or f uture generations. This has never been more important than now, with Maasai communities f acing increasing global and local challenges such as the privatization of common lands, drought, climate change, and globalization. Context of the Project Briefly describe what the most pressing issues are that your community is facing in terms of the continuance of your ancestral wisdom, and how does this project contribute to protect it and/ or preserve it. Please try to answer the following questions: How will the community benefit from this project? The community will benef it f rom this project in the f ollowing ways: 1. Improved f ood security, both f rom the honey itself and f rom the enhanced pollination of the nearby organic community f arming project. 2. Strengthening awareness of and engagement in traditional indigenous practices that include honey in a practical context while sharing language, ceremony, and rituals across generations. 3. Community members will gain training and experience in an enterprise that can provide sustainable income. This practical knowledge can be passed on to others who wish to replicate the ef f ort f or their own benef it, providing a culturally connected entrepreneurs hip op portunity within the local indigenous community. How is the community currently volunteeri ng and/or contributi ng to this project? The Xxxx Xxxx Women’s Project are currently key members of the team running the organic community f arm. While providing the necessary labor f or the project they are also learning practical and managerial skills relating to nutritional self -suf f iciency. These same women will incorporate beekeeping into this team ef f ort as a related element in strengthening local f ood security and sustainable livelihood options. Community chief and Xxxxxxx f ounder Xxxxxxx Xxx Xxxxx has donated 5 acres of land f or the f arm and will add additional land as needed to ensure optimal placement of hives. He is also volunteering his time and resources to conducting preliminary community outreach, researching potential partners and resources, and other advance ef f orts to ensure success of the project if f unded . How will the project support, reflect, and/or restore spiritual and/or cultural practices that are based on the ancestral wisdom of the community? Engaging both elders and youth in the tactical work of the project as well as in the spiritual and cultural f acets of the honey harvest will create a powerf ul bridge that moves beyond discussion of the spirit and wisdom of the Maasai people into establishing an ongoing, tangible, and shared experience. How will the project support, reflect, and/or restore the unique Indigenous world perspecti ves of the community? The project is uniquely situated within the land of Xxxxxxx Xxx Xxxxx’s Cultural Camp, where travelers f rom around the world come to experience authentic Maasai culture, and Kenyans come to reconnect with their roots or gain greater awareness of another culture they may not be f amiliar with. This provides a platf orm f or shaping world perspectives with authentic experiences and the narrative of the indigenous people themselves, rather than an outsider’s report. How will the project support, reflect, and/or restore the cultural or spiritual practices of the community such as the native language(s), arts, ceremonial traditions, and so on? This project aims to renew and strengthen appreciation f or the deep spiritual and physical integration and interdependence of human and nature. The project will provide practical experiences in the use of honey in traditional ceremony and ritual, which will be helpf ul in sustaining the f uture of this aspect of Maasai culture. Maa words and songs will be incorporated at every step and communicated in ways that engage all involved to understand and carry on these cultural and spiritual practices. Why is this project important to you and why do you think it should be important to the Xxxxxx Xxxx Foundation? This project is important f or the f ollowing reasons: 1. Local Maasai elders in the region tell us that they have seen sharp decline of bees in this region, and that sourcing honey f rom the nectar of local f lowers has become increasingly dif f icult due to low supply. 2. Beekeeping in this region is known to be a relatively easy to manage and highly productive and prof itable source of honey, f or both personal use as well as sale and distribution. It theref ore represents a possible solution to the problem of bee population decline in the region whilst also promising potential economic benef its f or the local community. 3. The Xxxxxx Xxxx Foundation has an extensive track record of providing crucial support to people at risk or living with the outcomes of diminished traditional cultural presence. Whilst the local Maasai community still nurtures a rich traditional practice with spiritual leaders and wisdom keepers in their midst, these key individuals are of the older generation, which puts the continuation of this knowledge and practice at risk. The Xxxxxx Xxxx Foundation’s approach to asking communities how they see a way f orward in protecting their own culture and spirit, and committing to support the widely ranging answers that are given, make it a great match f or the local Maasai community. Are other partners involved in the project and/or will it endeavor to build partnerships with other groups/communi ties? A diverse network of international donors provides support to various Xxxxxxx Conservation Foundation projects, such as the organic community f arm, the local Maasai school, a community recycling center, the tree nursery, etc. These individuals and organizations, as well as others like them, would be likely potential partners to expand the beekeeping project in the f uture to ensure continuation and sustainability as success is demonstrated. This could include initiatives such as expanding project capacity, extending outreach ef f orts to more schools in the region, and working to establish beekeeping operations f or other local entrepreneurs. We have engaged the services of Xxxxx Xxxx Beekeeping Services, an independent consultancy based in Nairobi that operates to “preserve the heritage of our f oref athers” by promoting best-practice beekeeping across Kenya. They will help kickstart the project, providing all equipment, materials, staf f training, harvesting assistance, honey bottling supplies, broker connections f or sales, and any other support required. With their assistance, the local Maasai community will then connect with other communities and regional business owners, such as saf ari camps and eco-lodges, to sell the honey produced. *Costs f or services and supplies are included in the budget. Activities and Strategies Please describe the specific activities you plan to undertake and the strategi es you will use to accomplish them. Over the course of 12 months, the Xxxxxxx Community Based Organization will carry out the f ollowing activities: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Establish a core technical team f or the beekeeping project. This team will be responsible f or planning and carrying out all on-site beekeeping activities in addition to participating in training sessions with local women, enabling the project to be f ully turned over to them at the end of the term. Work with our consultants to plan appropriate locations f or the establishment of 2 on-site apiaries. Set up and prepare 30 beehives and an additional 10 catcher boxes. Document the sacred, medicinal, and nutritional uses of harvested honey, including recording of sacred chants and prayers associated with these traditions. Distribute the honey to local communities. Host training workshops to enable local women to join the project or start their own apiaries. Transport and f acilitate the sale of harvested honey to f inancially support the community. Prepare a detailed technical report, systemizing the project activities and learnings so that they can be shared and duplicated in other locations and communities. These activities can be f urther broken down into the f ollowing categories: PLANNING ENGAGING VENDORS & PURCHASING EQUIPMENT Xxxxx Xxxx Beekeeping Services have provided a preliminary report on materials and tools required to set up the project. These are outlined in f ull in the Project Budget (Document S3). Consultants will be assigned f or the duration of the project to ensure continuity and f amiliarity with the project location and culture. They will carry out an initial site inspection to determine the best siting f or 2 apiaries, at least three meters away f rom any paths or areas f requented by people. TRAINING WOMEN A minimum of 5 local Maasai women will be initially identif ied as the community contingent within our beekeeping group (other project staf f will be involved, including certain camp staf f perf orming beekeeping roles). All women interested in getting involved in practical beekeeping will attend a f ull day of training at Xxxxx Xxxx Beekeeping Services. Training will cover a basic introduction to all aspects of beekeeping, including use of equipment f or maintenanc e, harvesting procedures, and bottling techniques. Consultants will provide 6 onsite visits (approximately every 2 months) to caref ully monitor and review the state of all hives, answer questions and concerns f rom the team, and ensure that the project remains on track. SET UP INSTALLING HIVES Xxxxx Xxxx Beekeeping Services will source and deliver all hives and equipment and remain onsite to ensure proper installation of the hives and clear understanding of required maintenance. Local volunteers will be enlisted alongside the beekeeping project team f or the manual labor required to set the hive stands. BEE CAPTURE “Bulking Unit” hives and standard catcher boxes will be set up in the areas with greatest potential f or attracting bees. These will then be moved to the apiaries (starting at around 4 weeks into the project). Catcher boxes will remain in place, continually increasing potential production hive population and project size, as well as mitigating concerns f or any potential loss of bee population in the apiaries due to predators, broken equipment, pests, etc. POPULATING HIVES When an adequate number of bees have been captured, within 4 weeks the beekeeping team, including members f rom the women’s project, will begin transplanting them to the apiaries. During these early stages, f ollowing the guidelines of our expert consultants, daily monitoring of hive health and population levels will be carried out by our team, shif ting to longer monitoring intervals as appropriate (see below). MAINTENANCE ROUTINE MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE During the early stages of hive population, daily and weekly inspection, monitoring, and maintenance activities will be carried out, checking health and population levels of each hive as well as checking f or pests, dust, and cobwebs, to ensure optimal hive health and honey production. Any issues or concerns will be reported to consultants. Following advice, monitoring will be carried out at less f requent intervals allowing colonies to thrive undisturbed, whilst keeping an eye out f or any issues that need address. CONSULTANT REVIEW AND COACHING Consultants will provide 6 onsite visits to caref ully review the state of all hives, carry out ongoing training with project staf f , and ensure the project is remaining on track. They will also be available remotely between visits to answer any questions and concerns f rom our team. HARVESTING HARVEST Af ter approximately 5 months, several hives should be ready f or a f irst honey harvest, with an estimated 3 harvests per year af ter that. Xxxxx Xxxx Beekeeping consultants will visit f or this f irst harvest to train and supervise all project staf f , ensuring best practices are f ollowed and honey yield is optimized. Harvests will also collect other products such as pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and beeswax, ensuring a holistic and sustainable beekeeping operation. BOTTLING Harvested honey will be tested f or impurities and conf irmed as f ood grade in compliance with Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Food Saf ety regulations. KEBS CB will audit and certif y against a variety of f ood saf ety certif ication schemes approved by a range of internationally and regionally recognized standards such as: FSSC 22000 - a scheme recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). ISO 22000 – food safety management system HACCP – food safety assessment scheme based on CODEX Alimentarius Food hygiene requirements. FSCE - GHP+ for catering establishments GMP – Good Manufacturing Practices Further inf ormation on KEBS standards and procedures can be f ound on their website. Honey will be bottled in new, sanitized, and recyclable plastic jars. COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTION Honey will be distributed to project team members (with priority distribution to beekeepers) as a share of their membership in the cooperative ef f ort. They will be f ree to sell this honey on to the community if they wish. Additional stores of honey will be distributed to local elders, medicine people, midwives, and other community members to use in traditional healing, nutrition, and ritual. EXTERNAL SALES Only when production exceeds the agreed quantity f or community distribution: bottled honey will be sold to outside brokers such as regional camps, lodges, and gif t shops, as well as private individuals where appropriate, to increase f inancial returns and ensure the sustainability of the community project moving f orward , as well as spreading awareness of the importance of beekeeping and bees in Maasai culture and the local ecosystem. COMMUNITY ENGAGEME NT COMMUNITY CEREMONIES AND EVENTS At key points during the project (such as the launch and f irst harvest), a ceremony of blessing and appreciation will be held onsite to reinf orce the purpose of the beekeeping initiative as supporting the culture and spirit of the local indigenous population. When local ceremonies or rituals take place, project honey will be shared with participants and recognized as a product of the local indigenous people, honoring the ef f orts of those working to maintain these connections. YOUTH EDUCATION Students f rom the local school will be invited to participate in milestone moments of the project as well as visit ing to observe and participate in daily operations. Outreach events with speakers, videos, and beekeeping demonstrations will also be organized in the local Maasai school, to reach those that are unable to attend events onsite. All students will be able to see both the practical side of beekeeping and honey production, and the cultural context and importance, through talks and ceremonies with community elders and medicine people. VISITOR PROGRAMS As soon as the hives are in place, camp and project staf f will collaborate to create a tailored visitor experience, whereby all visitors to the Maasai Cultural Camp will visit the apiaries, talk with the project staf f (including the local women), and learn about the importance of honey within both Maasai culture and the local ecosystem. Through this, they will leave with a deeper understanding of the traditional connections with nature, and with respect f or the Maasai traditions, healing rituals, and ceremonies. Honey f rom the project will thus serve as the physical mechanism f or inter-generat ional and international knowledge sharing, f ocusing on the language, stories, and rituals of local Maasai culture. REPORTING MONTHLY/ONGOIN G Xxxxxx Conservation leaders along with international volunteers will support the project staf f in establishing a reliable and regular system of record keeping on project issues, actionables, f inancials, and so on. This will ensure the team are making inf ormed decisions regarding project actions, are collaborating ef f ectively, and have access to measurable data on project progress and perf ormance. If appropriate, thorough tracking in this way will also provide a wealth of important technical inf ormation should attempts be made to replicate the endeavor elsewhere. These records will be available f or any f unding organizations and/or private donors to review, as well as f ueling the f uture sustainability of the project in accessing f urther f unding by demonstrating measurable insights and datadriven success. ANNUAL REVIEW A summary of progress, lessons learned, and outcomes will be prepared in advance of the end of the Xxxxx Xxxx Foundation’s f unding cycle, to provide f unders with a clear picture of the project’s achievements, and with hopes of renewing support should the project continue to align with the f under’s mission and vision. Project Purpose Present a numbered list of your project goals and the expected impact of the project in the community. PROJECT GOALS 1 IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY WHILE LIVING TRADITIONAL LIVES Expected impacts: • Honey harvested to provide nutritional support to more than 50 local Maasai f amilies. • Bee pollination increased on organic community f arm, improving outputs, and f urther assisting with the shif t f rom nomadic to stationary lif e required f or many Maasai adapting to modern Kenya. 2 EMPOWER LOCAL MAASAI WOMEN AS CULTURAL SURVIVAL CATALYSTS Expected impacts: • Provision of honey by local women f or traditional medicine and rituals through harvests of up to 500 kilos of honey per year. • Strengthening bee pollination f or local tree nursery of 800+ medicinal and holy trees. • Increased availability of honeycomb f or the making of enaisho (traditional local brew, prepared by women) f or social and ceremonial use. 3 SUSTAIN TRADITIONA L MAASAI ROLE IN PROTECTING THE LOCAL ENVIRONME NT Expected impacts: • Increased bee population in local ecosystem through implementation of harvesting practices that do not kill bees or damage hives. • Rejuvenatio n of 200+ acres of natural land through the pollination of all indigenous f lowering plants and trees. • Support f or abundant f lora in the local environment, providing f ood f or grazing wildlif e and, in turn, larger (and heavily endangered) predators. 4 ENGAGE YOUTH IN APPRECIATION AND INTERGENE RATIONA L SHARING OF THEIR CULTURE Expected impact: • 500+ students per year will be eng aged in learning about the meaning and uses of honey in traditional culture and ceremony, through both school-based sessions and presentations, and onsite learning experiences. 5 PRESERVE INDIGENOUS LIFESTYLE WITH OPTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS Expected impact: • 50+ local Maasai f amilies will benef it f rom the opportunities to sell honey (only after the needs of local people are met). This will empower them with a platf orm and skills that enable them to support their f amilies without having to leave their villages to earn a living in cities and towns . Project Continuity Please share if you have a plan for generating additional funds and/ or continuing the project after the Xxxxx Xxxx Foundation’ s funding is scheduled to end. While the proposed project can be f ulf illed as described f or the f irst 12 month period with f unding f rom the Xxxxx Xxxx Foundation, the f ollowing f unding sources will be tapped f or sustainability: 1. Once community needs have been met, honey, royal jelly, and beeswax will be sold in the Cultural Camp gif t shop and distributed to other brokers f or sale in nearby lodges and camps. 2. Two private f oundations have contributed a total of 7000USD towards the ongoing running of the project, with additional grant requests being developed by Xxxxxx Foundation, in partnership with consultants f rom Xxxxx Xxxx Services. 3. Local and international visitors to the Maasai Cultural Camp will get to experience and witness the project’s impact on knowledge sharing and cultural preservation and will be invited to support through either monetary or materials donations, and/or volunteering time, labor, or resources. Learnings and Reporting Please share how you will determine that the project was successful for your community, and how you plan to share those insights with the Xxxxx Xxxx Foundation (i.e. testimonial s, data, etc.)The purpose of this requirement is to provide a clear definition of the projected expectations for success so that upon the completion of the project, a clear strategy is followed for imparting the knowledge acquired during the course of this project, the experiences of project participants, unforeseen discoveries, challenges, and lessons learned so that we can look back upon what you said could be the positive changes created by this project and compare them with the actual benefits generated by the end of the defined per iod of time. Documentation and thorough reporting is a key element of this project, with one of the primary goals being documentation of project process to f acilitate f uture replication or adaptation. This will be carried out in the f ollowing ways: 1 The project manager will lead the team in record keeping and documentation, including, but not limited to: ▪ photos and images of key project milestones, outreach events, training days, and outreach ▪ video interviews conducted with elders and medicine people on the role of beekeeping in sustaining traditional cultural practices ▪ project technical analysis and data gathering on variables such as hive and apiary health, bee population, hive location, etc. ▪ beekeeping plans, procedures, and actions taken ▪ harvest yield, production of biproducts (propolis, beeswax, etc.) ▪ community distribution dates and locations, individuals involved, and quantities distributed ▪ all project f inancial inputs and outputs 2 Inf ormal interviews will be conducted with pro ject participants f rom the local community, to receive constructive f eedback that can be discussed and measures implemented where appropriate to improve the impact of the initiative. 3 Further interviews will be carried out to gather stories, shared knowledges, learnings, and traditional wisdom on honey use within local Maasai culture (see above: “video interviews conducted with elders…”). The content f rom these interviews will be transcribed and reviewed by a small team consisting of two project staf f members (both Maasai) and one international, English-speaking volunteer. These learnings will be compiled in an ongoing database, as well as summarized into a yearly report. 4 A separate written report will be provided to the Xxxxx Xxxx Foundation prior to the completion of the 12month f unding cycle, providing quantif iable data on project progress and achievements corresponding to the goals and objectives stated in this f unding proposal and project outline. Additional Organizational Documentation Attach a copy of your 501(c)(3) tax determination letter (or its equivalent, if applying from a country other than the United States) See supporting documentation, Document S6, title: Community Organization Certification (Kenya). If possible, attach a letter from the project’s community authority stating that your organization originated from within the community and /or how will the community members participate in the project. See supporting documentation, Document S7, title: Letter of Community Support. Please include supporting materials such as video, photos and/ or testimonials. See supporting documentation, Documents S8, S9 and S10, titles: Xxxx Xxxx Community Projects Photo Gallery, Xxxxxxx Conservation Testimonials, Xxxx Xxxx Cultural Camp Testimonials. How did you hear about this program? Ref erred by K Xxxxxx as a potential good f it.
