Fr Larry McDonnell
Salesian Fathers
Swaziland
Fr
Larry McDonnell, Salesian Fathers in Swaziland -
Manzini Youth Care and Eswatini Swazi Kitchen
Honey Project.
Manzini Youth Care, the main Social Outreach
project of the Salesian Community in Swaziland,
(MYC) is a socio-economic development
organisation with a long history of promoting
income generation and human development for the
betterment of disadvantaged Swaziland youth and
communities.
Through the generous funding of the Missionary
Development Fund, MYC is exploiting the existing
business opportunity in the honey industry in
Swaziland and creating reliable sources of
income for existing beekeepers and vulnerable
households.
Using the grant funds from MDF, MYC has nearly
completed construction of a purpose built honey
factory for best practice processing of honey.
Profits generated from the sale of the honey,
both locally and eventually overseas, will
contribute to the Salesians’ social and
developmental initiatives focussed on the
disadvantaged youth. The honey factory will form
part of the very successful processing
operation, Eswatini Swazi Kitchen, which
currently exports jams and chutneys to over 13
countries.
The key activities supported by the project
include participatory selection of 80 vulnerable
homesteads to undertake beekeeping as an income
generating activity. The second major aspect of
the project involves implementation of a honey
collection system, nationwide, which will
involve establishment of collection sites and
various locations around Swaziland, with
immediate payment to farmers, with unprocessed
honey then brought into the Manzini Factory for
processing. Honey will then be processed,
packaged and sold through various marketing
channels.
This initiative is important as it empowers
local vulnerable homesteads, as well as this
Salesian project, to have some control over
their own raising of income, rather than
constantly looking outside for sources of money.
This will ensure sustainability of the
homesteads and the Salesian project well into
the future.