Case study · Elim Organics · Bomet County · Funded by IRARA · 2026
Building a livelihood with Elim Organics
IRARA helps people rebuild their lives with purpose and long-term stability through reintegration and livelihood support. Its grant funded Elim Organics, a new commercial beekeeping enterprise in Bomet County, and Barnview & Co set it up: 50 hives, an apiary built for 60 colonies, and the training to run it as a business.
Why a beekeeping enterprise
IRARA’s livelihood support is about more than a one-off grant. The aim is a business that keeps paying its owner long after the funding is spent, and that fits the place where they live.
Beekeeping fits that brief well. Hives need little land and no clearing, running costs are low once the apiary is built, and honey, wax and propolis all sell locally. The same bees pollinate the crops and trees around the apiary, so the neighbourhood benefits too. That combination of income and a healthier landscape is what all our work is built on.
Partners
What we did
- July 2026
Assessed the site for forage, water and security, planned an apiary with room for 60 colonies, and started building 50 hives in our workshop. - August 2026
Completed the apiary: a raised, roofed and fenced shed on a concrete base, with tiered stands for the hives and water troughs built in. - September 2026
Trained the Elim Organics team in colony care, harvesting, processing and record keeping. - Now
Colonisation is under way, with the first 5 colonies settled. Next, we help with packaging and links to buyers so the first harvest turns into income.
What it means
Elim Organics went from a plan to a finished apiary and a trained team in three months. With colonisation under way, the business has the hives, the skills and the room to grow from 50 to 60 colonies without new infrastructure, giving its owner a daily livelihood built on bees.
| Measure | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hives installed | 50 | Built in our workshop |
| Apiary capacity | 60 | Room for 10 more colonies as the business grows |
| Team trained | September 2026 | Colony care, harvesting, processing, records |
| Colonies occupied | 5 | Colonisation is ongoing ahead of the first harvest |
Full report
For details of this project, contact us at info@barnview.org.
Elim Organics enterprise set-up report
Available on request from info@barnview.org