Honey, Livestock and Hope: How MaYEA Opened New Doors for Hawa

Hawa Adem Endris, 28, lives with her husband and three children in Kuni Village, Bira Kebele, Bati Woreda.

Before joining the MaYEA Program implemented by the Population Health and Environment Ethiopia Consortium PHE EC, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, led by ORDA Ethiopia, her family relied on small-scale farming, poultry farming, and traditional beekeeping.

Here is a story that MaYEA brought into her life

Hawa Adem Endris receives her business loan at Buna Bank's Bati Branch, accompanied by Woreda Program Officer Ayalew. Bati Woreda, Oromia Special Zone. June 2026

Before joining the MaYEA Program, I was mainly engaged in poultry farming to support household expenses. I also had three traditional beehives that my father had given me, and I had been practicing beekeeping for about two years before joining the program.

In the first year, I harvested 36 kilograms of honey from the three hives and sold it for ETB 1,500 per kilogram. However, in the following year, a drought reduced honey production.

Then, in the MaYEA Program, I learned to construct and use transitional hives, and I built two of them. Unfortunately, because of mismanagement, the bee colonies absconded.

The training I received also gave me knowledge in business skills, safeguarding, beekeeping, and other income-generating activities.

Before the training, I accepted whatever my traditional hives produced because I didn't know there were better ways of managing bees. Now I know how to improve production and run beekeeping as a business.

The training also encouraged her to diversify her income rather than depend on a single activity.

I have received two rounds of loans through the program.

With the first loan of ETB 85,776, I used ETB 70,000 to purchase and fatten a young Bull. Within three months, I sold it for ETB 100,000. At the same time, I invested in poultry, and together these businesses generated an estimated ETB 30,000 profit.

Using my second-round loan, I purchased another young Bull for ETB 85,000 and later sold it for ETB 115,000.

At the same time, she continued improving her beekeeping activity. She converted the traditional hives into modern frame hives. From only three modern hives, she sold 45 kilograms of honey in June 2025, for ETB 2,500 per kilogram, earning 112,500 ETB.

Customers now come directly to my house to buy honey. We don't have market problems. Some people even call us from Jeddah asking us to send honey.

Although drought remains a challenge, Hawa believes the future is bright.

When the rains are good, the bees find enough flowers, and honey production increases. If I had more bee colonies, beekeeping would be even more profitable.

Hawa Adem Endris with a newly purchased herd, Kuni Village, Bira Kebele, Bati Woreda, Oromia Special Zone. July 2026

Her strong repayment record also allowed her to access a third-round loan, which she used to buy nine sheep at ETB 10,500 each. Buyers are already offering her ETB 12,000 per sheep, indicating that she will make another good profit.

The challenges we previously faced in accessing loans have now been resolved. We receive our loans through Bunna Bank, and I always repay them on time. Because of my good repayment record, the bank processes my next loan quickly.

If the loan size were larger, I could expand my business even further. People in my community often tell me, "You have found a very good market." Hearing that makes me proud. Those who were not selected for the MaYEA Program often tell me they wish they had been given the same opportunity.

My goal is to continue expanding both my beekeeping and animal-fattening businesses. I never want to remain idle. I reinvest the income I earn from honey sales in October and November 2026 to purchase additional modern beehives.