World Ark Magazine - January/February 2008 - (Page 25) of income. He started raising grasscutters with steps off the path. Maize fields spread out in three young that he collected from the wild all directions. We all don protective veils, then and raised by hand. He would follow behind pull back the curtain of tall grasses and step hunters during the dry season and collect the into the clearing. Christian Amenya, who abandoned young when the adult grasscutters keeps these hives, slowly lifts the wooden lids to were killed. Veliano was only in high school at reveal the comb structure inside. The exhibit the time. With the money he made from selling is short-lived, however, as the aggressive bees grasscutters—which can bring up to 300,000 find exposed skin and send everyone running cetis, or $30 each—he was able to put himself back to the tiny village of Horkope. Little more than an open-air school and through polytechnic school, where he studied drafting. (For the sake of comparison, a tray of two small houses, Horkope is part of the larger eggs costs 30,000; a chicken, 50,000; and a goat, community of Dankyira. It seems remote, but 250,000 to 300,000 cetis.) He has become so is actually on the outer fringes of the eversuccessful at raising grasscutters, in fact, that growing Greater Accra region. Heifer Ghana he is making more money from them than oversees the Danchira Beekeeping Project here, promoting apiary skills and the sale of from his job as a draftsman. Within Heifer Ghana’s grasscutter project, honey. Amenya has taken the project especially Veliano is a special case. He did not receive seriously, so much so that he is known locally his original animals from Heifer Ghana, but as “the Honey Man.” Amenya doesn’t look old enough to have has participated in several trainings. While he could have received more animals from been farming for 20 years. His youthful ebulthe project, he did not want to be selfish and lience belies his age and accomplishment. so allowed his share to go to another farmer. Though he has only recently begun keeping His main role, though, is as a supplier of high- bees—he received his first hives in 2004—last quality breeding stock. Over the last decade, year he earned himself another name: Best Veliano has worked very hard to increase District Farmer awarded by the department of the good traits in his animals, selectively agriculture. The children of Horkope, however, know breeding them and bringing in new grasscutters to ensure genetic diversity. He is now a him as “Principal.” In 2006 Amenya began a major local producer of grasscutters and has small school here with the money he made supplied another Heifer project at a local from selling honey. He thought it appropriate to name the school Dan West Elementary, prison with grasscutters. The masonry house being erected on the after Heifer International’s founder. The far side of the courtyard is further evidence school has grown to 55 children from across a of Veliano’s success. But with the constant 4-mile radius. One of the school’s main draws encroachment of the city and the loss of is the meals it serves the children. But even productive land to development, he wonders with all this work, Amenya has yet to receive his how he will be able to keep and feed even these teacher’s salary. His main income is still from the sale of honey. diminutive livestock. Honeybees have been called nature’s hardSmall as the grasscutters may be, there are even smaller animals daily working the land in est working animals. And, since they provide both food and profit, it’s not too much of a Accra and its environs. stretch to think of them as livestock. But today, the honeybee is receiving attention for much THE HONEY MAN We hear the drone of the beehives before more distressing reasons. Apis mellifera, the we actually see them. The rough wooden boxes European or Western honeybee, has become stand in a small clearing beneath a tree a few the symbol for the unknowable consequences www.heifer.org Honeybees have been called nature’s hardest working animals. And, since they provide both food and profit, it’s not too much of a stretch to think of them as livestock. January/February 2008 | WORLD ARK 25 http://www.heifer.org
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