About 30 tribal households in Phansad in Raigad district have found sustainable livelihood through apiculture, thanks to a novel initiative of the SBI Foundation.

Honey Harvest, the bee-keeping initiative, aims to serve as a sustainable income source for the tribals, Nikhil Bhopale, founder, Green Works Trust, a Navi Mumbai-based NGO, the implementation partner of the project said.

The project under ‘Sustainable Phansad’, a collaborative initiative of Green Works Trust in partnership with SBI Foundation, was launched recently near Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary.  

Designed to empower the tribal community near the sanctuary, the project has equipped 30 households with skills and knowledge necessary for sustainable bee-keeping.

Each of the 30 tribal beneficiaries have been provided five boxes filled with bee colonies and the necessary equipment to develop their own bee-keeping enterprise.

“Equipment like bee stand, bee wells, honey extracting machines and various safety guards to handles bees have been provided to them,” Bhopale said.  

The project aims to providing proper training and knowhow to the participant beneficiaries so as to make them experts in apiculture and make a living through the sale of honey.

“We would offer the project beneficiaries our complete assistance till they become well-versed and well-equipped with every process right from bee keeping up till marketing and sales,” he added.

By fostering this traditional practice, the project aims to create alternative livelihoods while simultaneously contributing to the preservation of the sanctuary's delicate ecosystem, he said.

“We are proud to get partnered with SBI Foundation on Project ‘Sustainable Phansad’ which has a long-term holistic approach towards conservation of the sanctuary." said Krupa Patil, trustee, Green Works, said.

The project exemplifies our commitment to support community development along with conservation efforts. We believe in empowering communities to become stewards of their own natural heritage," she said.

Beekeeping also serves a larger purpose. It enhances pollination, contributing to the health and biodiversity of the Phansad Sanctuary.

Green Works Trust, established in 2016, is a nature conservation non-profit NGO committed to creating a greener and sustainable future with a holistic approach towards conservation.

SBI CONSERW's mission, which functions under the SBI Foundation, promotes environmental conservation through sustainable engagements, restoration, and wildlife protection, aligning with key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.