NAIROBI — Grace Cheserem, chairwoman of the Lelkolo women's group in Kenya's Baringo County, still remembers her first honey harvest in 2022.

Wearing a protective veil, she carefully opened a beehive, hearing little more than her own breathing as she pulled out the first comb. The golden honey glistened in the sunlight, drawing cheers from the women gathered around her.

In local communities, beekeeping had long been regarded as men's work. Traditional hives were often placed high in trees, making honey harvesting physically demanding, while beekeeping was once considered taboo for women.

Today, the 21-member women's group has learned to manage beehives and harvest honey themselves, and has begun running their own honey business.

In 2025, the group harvested 612 kilograms of honey and earned about 500,000 Kenyan shillings (around $3,850) from sales.

Behind the change is agricultural extension officer Aholipama Chelagat Rutto, who brought beekeeping techniques she learned in China to the local community.

In 2017, Rutto traveled to Changsha, a city in Central China, to attend a training program on bee production and oil crops, organized by China's Ministry of Commerce and undertaken by a local agricultural science and technology institution.

After returning to Kenya, Rutto began sharing what she had learned with local women. "I wanted them to gain more skills and become economically independent," she said.

In Baringo, where women often shoulder responsibilities including fetching water, doing household chores, and caring for children, Rutto saw beekeeping as a practical option for earning additional income. "It takes relatively little of their daily time and can provide income," she said.

Rutto began promoting modern hives, including Langstroth hives, together with protective clothing and specialized tools.

As the women gradually mastered beekeeping techniques, changes also began to take place within their households.

"When the men saw that we were actually capable of doing the work, they also really accepted it," Cheserem said. "Now both my husband and I can share household responsibilities."

"We use the money from selling honey to buy livestock such as chickens and goats and to supplement our household expenses," Cheserem added.

XINHUA