Guiding Hope ^Featured

Original project description

Guiding Hope is looking to establish an environmentally and socially responsible, fair-yet-profitable trade in apiculture products by up-scaling the marketing and production of honey and wax,

Guiding Hope plans to expand small-scale production of organic, fair-trade honey from the remote Adamoua savannah and NorthWest highlands to reach international markets and to become Cameroon’s largest exporter of high quality beeswax, as well as building an international market chain for community-owned soap- and candle-making businesses.
The aim is to increase wax export sales to 66 tonnes of organic wax per year by 2012, to increase wax prices by 30% through increasing quality, and to diversify their current honey sales market.

Current project updates

No update available.

Growth plans description

• Wax: seek investment capital from partners, grants/awards, finance institutions and Guiding Hope members to purchase and process wax from Cameroonian producer cooperatives and to cover export costs.
• Honey: for the national and regional markets: develop a labelling, packaging and marketing strategy, opening a warehouse in Yaoundé; and training for sellers in major cities in Cameroon.
For the export market: Obtain EU Honey Monitoring Residue Scheme licence to export by March 2009; seek investment capital from partners, grants/awards, finance institutions and Guiding Hope members to cover purchases and export.
• Soap and candles: Diversify products and add value locally by transforming wax and honey into soap and candles for Cameroonian and export markets by the end of 2010.

Current Needs

To ensure the long-term future of this innovative, locally-led partnership for sustainable development, additional contacts, financing opportunities and communication and marketing networks are needed, and in particular:
• contacts with reliable buyers of wax and honey in Europe
• funding for product and value chain development
• expert input to a honey labelling and marketing strategy and gaining certification in relevant schemes
• capacity building in:
o developing co-operation systems between stakeholders
o producing honey-beeswax soap
o micro-finance and small-scale shareholder systems
o accounting and business skills

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