The TOBA Beekeeping Project is a new local initiative from the Tombel / Bangem area of South West Cameroon.
It is led by Mr Atabe Thomas Sube, a retired head teacher, who is President of the Tombel-Bangem Beefarmers.

Prompted by concern about local poverty and inspired by the success of the
Bees Abroad Kom Project in the North West of Cameroon, they have started a Common Initiative Programme to raise local awareness of agricultural and environmental issues. They have requested Bees Abroad to assist them in their efforts. The World Wildlife Fund, who have a rainforest conservation project which covers a large part of the Bakossi area (Mt. Kupe Forest Project) based at Nyasoso, on the road between Tombel and Bangem, are supportive of this effort from indigenous people to improve local livelihoods.

The project will develop beekeeping in the area and assist local people to increase their income. It will develop field extension services and a centre of beekeeping excellence which will train and advise in sustainable modern bee farming. The project will also have wider environmental benefits such as improved crop pollination, forest and soil erosion protection and prevention of honey hunting related bush fires.

Bees Abroad intend that the design of the project will enable it to become self financing within three years so that training and field extension services are funded from beekeeping activities. The project will maximise the uptake of beekeeping by the poorest members of society by:

Veils made from local materials

The project start date was January 2001. Initial training and some support will be carried out by some of the trainers from the Kom project. Four areas have been selected from the Bakossi region, and each area will have its own team of a trainer and an assistant. Each team will be expected to set up a training apiary and offer training to selected villages within their area. The apiary honey yield is eventually expected to cover the assistant trainers wages and a proportion of the central costs. The trainers themselves are volunteers.