A CHEPSTOW businesswoman has returned to Tanzania to participate in a three day beehive building blitz.

Vivienne Harris, agriculture manager at ABP Food Group, joined 13 other businesswomen from the UK food industry in travelling to the remote Nou Forest in Tanzania to build beehives and improve the lives of women farmers.

She flew out on Monday, 16th October to take part in the Big Beehive Build for Farm Africa, the charity working to create rural prosperity in eastern Africa.

Having taken part in the Big Beehive Build 2015, Vivienne will return to Tanzania with hope of beating the team’s 2015 record of building 90 beehives in three days.

After arriving at Kilimanjaro airport, Vivienne and her companions will travel south for several hours to reach the small village of Bermi in the Babati District of the Manyara Region.

Their mission is to work alongside local women to construct 120 Langstroth beehives in just three days as well as raise £80,000 for Farm Africa.

That’s 30 more hives than the group built in three days on their first visit to Tanzania two years ago.

The hives will be used by women from the local Bermi beekeeping group to build sustainable honey farming businesses that give them a steady income as well as an incentive to protect the forest by planting fruit trees to attract more bees.

The 300 square kilometre Nou Forest where they live is noted for its biodiversity of flora and fauna but it has suffered severe deforestation in recent years.

Harvesting honey brings local women a new and valuable source of income, which enables them to pay for food, medicines and school fees for their children.

Vivienne Harris said: “I was lucky enough to have joined the Big Beehive Build back in 2015 and what an experience it was, three days, nine women and 90 beehives.

“It was an amazing and very moving trip, working in the Erri village building the beehives to help support the community with honey sales for future years.

“I was incredibly privileged to be part of the challenge then and am very excited to be visiting again.

“I’m hoping that we can meet some of the ladies to find out the difference the beehives are making to the community two years since our last visit to Tanzania.”

Joyce Lali, 45, from Erri village in Manyara, who is one of the women who set up a honey production business after receiving beehives that were built by the challenge group in 2015, said:

“It is something that has given real value to our lives. I send special appreciation for making us women seen.

“Before, we were invisible in the community. You have helped us increase the value of females in the community. Before, we were oppressed by men and we didn’t earn any of our own money. Now, I earn my own money and I can buy the things I need myself.”