In western Tanzania, near the bordering regions of Tabora and Kigoma a quiet transformation is happening. It begins with bees, however its impact extends far beyond honey. Through environmental restoration, regenerative agriculture, and community empowerment, Mayaya Mack, founder of Sustainable Beekeeping and Human Development (SuBeHuDe), is helping to build a future where youth and women are at the center of ecosystem restoration and social entrepreneurship.
Mayaya’s journey with bees began unexpectedly in his childhood. “When I was about ten years old, my friends and I used to steal honey from a neighbor who kept bees,” he recalls with a laugh. “Did that inspire me to become a beekeeper? Maybe, we sure did love the honey!” At the time, beekeeping was not widely seen as a profession for young people. In many rural communities in western Tanzania, it was considered an activity for elders, and in some places, even surrounded by superstition. “People used to say beekeeping was for older men, and in some beliefs, you had to be a witch to keep bees,” he explains.
Over the past decade, however, perceptions have begun to shift. Younger generations are increasingly receiving climate education and sustainable agriculture through schools and community programs. Among which, the community programs of SuBeHuDe. At the heart of SuBeHuDe’s work is a simple but powerful belief: young people and women are both among the most vulnerable groups and the greatest drivers of change.
Youth and Women as the Engine for Social Development
“Youth and women are the engine of development of a community and country,” says Mayaya Mack. Yet in many rural communities, they continue to face structural barriers. Women are often excluded from decision-making processes and economic opportunities, while young people struggle with limited access to skills, training, and employment pathways.
To address this, SuBeHuDe trains communities in sustainable beekeeping, regenerative agriculture, ecosystem restoration, social entrepreneurship, and inclusive education. “We are building on the UN principle of leaving no one behind, especially youth and women. They are our next generation,” he explains. The goal is not only inclusion, but leadership. “We want them to be in the driver’s seat, for the sake of sustainable national development.”
Bees as Incentives for Restoration
SuBeHuDe quickly learned that environmental conservation alone is often not enough motivation for communities facing immediate economic pressures. “When you tell someone to plant a tree, they may have to wait ten years before they see the benefits,” Mayaya explains. “People need income now.” At the same time, they found that many smallholder farmers were heavily using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, not understanding their effect on the soil health and, subsequently, poisoning the food systems. SuBeHuDe introduced regenerative practices such as permaculture and intercropping, which restore soil fertility and strengthen climate resilience. But SuBeHuDe needed an additional, short-term incentive for the community to join the ecosystem conservation movement, and this is where beekeeping became a powerful entry point. “If there are no bees, there is no life on this planet,” Mayaya says simply. Beekeeping provides immediate income while also supporting ecosystem restoration. Bees act as both a livelihood resource and an ecological indicator. By integrating sustainable beekeeping with environmental restoration, communities are able to earn income in the short term while protecting biodiversity and restoring degraded landscapes for the future.
Education for the younger generation plays a central role in SuBeHuDe’s approach. The organization works with schools to introduce children to sustainable agriculture, climate awareness, and environmental stewardship.
“Next month I will be at my daughter’s school for a three-day training,” Mayaya shares. He believes that the next generation must grow up understanding ecosystems not as distant concepts, but as living systems they are part of – and also responsible for protecting. Mayaya’s connection to bees also goes far beyond agriculture. He also works with natural health practices, using honey and bee products as part of traditional healing remedies. For example, honey mixed with local ingredients is used in managing skin conditions such as eczema and allergic rashes. “One of my children is very interested in my work,” he says. “She wants to understand bees, how we harvest honey, and how we live alongside them.”
Grow with SuBeHuDe
Today, capacity building and entrepreneurship stand alongside environmental restoration as the core pillars of SuBeHuDe’s mission. Its programs include sustainable beekeeping, regenerative agriculture, ecosystem conservation, and tree planting initiatives. Like many grassroots organizations, SuBeHuDe continues to face significant challenges. The most pressing is limited financial resources, which restricts the scale of training programs, infrastructure development, and community outreach. Recruiting and retaining volunteers and staff also remains a challenge.
Despite these constraints, the organization continues to move forward with determination and community support. “We want to be part of international platforms,” Mayaya says. “We want collaboration.” For grassroots organizations like SuBeHuDe, partnerships are more than visibility, they are pathways to funding, knowledge exchange, technical support, and long-term sustainability.
Today, SuBeHuDe manages approximately 75 bee colonies, many of them traditional hives made from hollowed tree trunks, a long-standing practice in rural Tanzania. While these hives are affordable and culturally familiar, modern beekeeping techniques offer opportunities to improve honey yield and ease of management. Even with limited resources, SuBeHuDe continues to grow steadily. With support from community networks and ecosystem restoration platforms, the organization is strengthening its capacity and expanding its impact, one hive, one community, and one ecosystem at a time.
SuBeHuDe invites those who are passionate about environmental stewardship to join their mission, whether through hands-on volunteer work or direct support. For those interested in an immersive experience, the organization offers community-based homestays, offering a unique opportunity to witness their regenerative programs firsthand. You can visit their website to explore current volunteer opportunities and application details. If traveling is not an option, you can still contribute significantly by donating to help scale their educational initiatives and conservation efforts, ensuring that SuBeHuDe continues to empower local communities and nurture the landscape for years to come.
Read more about SuBeHuDe or go to their website.
Volunteer blogger Isabel Romijnders is a Sustainability Anthropologist with a Masters degree in Cultural Anthropology: Sustainable Citizenship from Utrecht University.