Hi again Steemers
In my previous post U could read how I found my passion. How by doing what I love, keeping bees, I am supporting a need in nature, for a better environment and a stronger biodiversity .
So here's where the adventure really started !
Feeling the need to spread my knowledge I started a website http://bijenleven.weebly.com/
The site however is written in Dutch, but feel free to take a look.
Nice pics and video's here http://bijenleven.weebly.com/albums.html
With this site build and with the honey harvest that time, I printed the website address on the label for each honey jar of 500gr(1 pound + 1.65 ounces).
With this information the people could see what I was doing and could contact me. Contact me for honey or for another questions like on installing bees where the people lived, to support the biodiversity, to be part of the cycle. Off course with this came the motivation to plant an as much as possible amount of bee-friendly plants. We could overpopulate a certain area with too many bees but we can never plant to many flowers in a certain area.
People started again (but wider now) to spread the word, directly and indirectly through friends and family and trough internet and social media.
This is when I got ear of an organization who is sending out 'experts' to Africa and Latin America. This organization is called VZW Exchange, Antwerp based. U can see me in between the class group in the picture, they used one of my pictures for there website. Exchange is an organisation helping local villages, supporting them not with money but with knowledge. After spontaneously introducing myself I had been invited to the too office and got the chance to explain what I could do for them. I spoke about my passion and they really felt it! After a little week they called me to tell me they chose me to fly out for them to South Senegal, West Africa destination! ! They are paying for the plane ticket. In return I needed to educate 20 farmers about beekeeping on a different continent.
This was adventure to the fullest!
The local people of the village where friendly, happy to see me and eager to learn whatever this white man could teach them. A satisfying feeling came over me after the first day because more and more people showed up to learn about beekeeping. The people had been informed about what I was doing and more people wanted to join the class, everybody was welcome off course. This was so amazing and satisfying.
Off course me myself and I learned a lot about their bees as well.
In Europe we have “Apis melifera lingustica” or “Apis mellifera carnica” and more none aggressive honeybees.In Senegal or West Africa they have “Apis melifera scutellata” or “Apis mellifera adansonii” and more species of very aggressive honeybees.
-Senegal project Youtube link-
After a little 2 week of education, the project reached the end and it was an interesting project, for both parties. I had been teaching them basics in beekeeping and I learned a lot on the African honeybee. Had the chance to learn about natural African beekeeping. Log hives and Kenyan top bar hives. Saw ants cutting and eating bees here. Next to that I learned about certain 'diseases' we do not excessive have in Europe, like hive beetles. Wax moth is another serious problem there.
The person responsible for the VZW Exchange, based in Dakar, came to evaluate this project in the South. The village name was Tobor, next to Ziguinchor, Casamance - South Senegal. U can see the depart from Dakar and the arrival in Ziguinchor. Very interesting, departing from a dessert like area to arrive next to the jungle.
The organization in Antwerp received nothing but positive reactions, potentially leading to a next project !
Back in Ghent, Belgium the debriefing was very positive, everybody was happy! What a win win situation!
It was here on the debriefing that Exchange offered me a next project, if I wanted off course, heh what do U think?!...This time, the (new )project was in Malawi, Southern Africa. They wanted me to do the same education project for again 20 farmers, as I did, with pleasure! Here is where I actually got 2 projects. One in the north in Mzuzu and one in the south next to Blantyre.
If U guy's want me to write something strictly on those projects, please let me know.
Now, returned back to the cold climate, I did not plan on stop spreading the knowledge I have. This reflected in how I searched for new projects or workshops on festivals, schools and company's ...
For the most of the time, living this story, I was unemployed, living alone in the city border. I was realising that I am really helping people while I am enjoying to the fullest what I do. Travelling, talking about my bees, finding local solutions for local problems, with locals!
Here is when the next opportunity saw light.
I found a website that intrigued me a lot, http://www.beeodiversity.com/en/ , took a good look and saw that these guys actually are doing something similar like me. Making more and more people aware that we need to take care of the environment, like I repeated a couple times already, by supporting the biodiversity!
So what I did is, I wrote these guys of BeeOdiversity. Notice the wordplay in beeodiversity.
The honeybee stand central in this case of biodiversity
I wrote them and asked them if I could mean something for them in this nice picture, feeling that what I want to do is the same like they are doing. We must can mean something for each other. So I am happy to announce that this new minded company BeeOdiversity invited me to introduce myself in Brussels! This company is a company that is founded by some young men who have the same state of mind like I have, promoting myself must work and leave a positive look. Supporting the biodiversity, where the honeybee is placed central, they found a nice name that jumps out and the goal of this company is pretty clear with a name like that.
Once reached in Brussels, I did what I know I do good, talking about the bees. Showing those guys that I know what I am talking about. We had a good understanding on how indeed we do have the same state of mind.
To end the story I'd love to tell all you that now I am the beekeeper for BeeOdiversity!
Being unemployed for a while, but surviving and following what I support, and especially not doing what I do not support in life. I reached a point in life where I feel good, so happy and so proud and this is a reason that I wanted to share this story with all U Steemers on Steemit. Knowing that we actually can realise serious goals, each for himself, without following the 'ordinary' path in life.
Here is where all of can understand the title for this note; Positive note on following your passion. Where I reached now, from unemployment to dream job is such a beautiful positive story that I needed to share !
I feel we are reaching a time where people are waking up, realizing that we need to live different and take care of our environment, our friends, human or non-human. We need to take care of each other, take care of this planet, take care of life on the planet, where communication is a must!
Love life, love life live, do what u want to do but with respect for all.