Bee Tree Self Help Group in Moiben, Uasin Gishu county is one of the groups that actively participated in the Enterprise Development Initiative (EDI) project launched by The Navigator (EPTF) Kenya in 2021 in partnership with Swedish Mission Council through Children Mission Sweden/Africa.
The Navigators EPTF trained the members on entrepreneurship skills and supported them in setting up the Tree Seedling Nursery. The group sold a total of 9500 trees seedlings in 2022 earning them a total of Ksh 95,000.
The tree seedling nursery was registered with The National Forestry office, Moiben, in January 2023. As a registered entity with the forestry service, Bee Tree SHG and its members qualify to receive certified tree seedlings from Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI). The Nursery is among the suppliers for the Kenya Forestry Service, whenever the agency carries out tree planting drives.
Bee Tree SHG was one of the businesses that was selected to receive a capital injection in the EDI project. They received Ksh 250,000 to purchase farm equipment, branding materials, organic soils and potting bags. They also utilized the capital injection to install a water tank, a piping system and fencing the site.
The group is scaling up operations of the nursery to establish 10,000 fruit trees and 40,000 different tree varieties for sale in 2023/2024 long rains period and also targeting the much anticipated El-nino rains. This projection is set to earn the group over Kes 500,000.
Bee Tree currently has four employees, youth drawn from the community, to establish the 50,000 tree seedlings nursery. The four employees have contracts cumulatively worth Ksh 75, 000.They are projecting to bring in two more employees.
Some of the obligations the group has committed towards its members include making payments for their National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) membership. A revolving fund though the Table Banking initiative and establishing an education kitty.
As a result of strategic partnership and engagement with the county government, initiated and spearheaded by the EDI program Bee Tree Self Help Group received an affirmative action grant of Ksh 100,000 from the Uasin Gishu county government given towards the tree seedling business.