FBA has paired 33 trainees and 19 mentors who will be offered participation in the 2023 Mentor Program. The program places beginning beekeepers with experienced local beekeepers for a year of one-on-one practical training in their apiaries. The candidates are listed in the image below.
Participants who agree to the program’s terms will each receive, by this month, 5 unassembled hive boxes, 50 unassembled frames, 50 sheets of wax foundation, and 5 aluminium printer plates to cover hive lids.
It is intended that this equipment be used during mentoring of hive assembly and splitting of bee colonies.
It is expected that participants make their own hive lids and bottoms.
Mentors also receive hive equipment at the end of the year.
During the next few weeks, program coaches (Nilesh Kumar, Imraz Ali and Chuck McCay) will be contacting each candidate to confirm their participation and distribute hive materials.
Nilesh Kumar (924-6314) will also be the national Mentor Program Manager for 2023.
Unfortunately, some applicants could not be accepted into the program.
The primary reasons for not being selected were limited funding, the lack of qualified local beekeepers to be mentors, trainee candidates who are not already beekeepers or already have significant experience.
Regrets that more applicants could not be accommodated in the program this year. FBA is working this year to expand its offer of beekeeping classes to areas of Fiji that have been under-served in the past.
A big ‘Thank You’ to the mentors in last year’s (2022) Mentor Program. A survey of all participants in that program is currently underway, along with the final distribution of hive materials and books.
FBA’s mentor program is made possible with support from the European Union ( #FO4ACP project) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).