(ANS – Bangalore) – At the age of 62, Manikkam has found in beekeeping an opportunity to improve her family’s life and regain the dignity that comes with being an entrepreneur. Her story is part of the “WELivE” program, run by the Salesian organization known as the Bangalore Rural Educational and Development Society (BREADS) in India, which supports women in vulnerable situations through formation, technical support, and entrepreneurial opportunities. Thanks to this Salesian initiative, Manikkam has managed to transform a life marked by poverty and family difficulties into a path toward independence, hope, and a future.

Manikkam lives in Kodom, a village in Kerala, in southern India. She grew up in a large, poor family belonging to a tribal community. Her circumstances prevented her from continuing her education beyond the early years of school.

At the age of 18, she married a sharecropper and, over time, became the mother of two children. For years, her husband was the family’s sole breadwinner. However, a serious accident at work completely changed their lives: a long hospital stay, chronic pain, disability, and the loss of his job left the family without a stable income. Subsequently, alcoholism, domestic violence, and an ever-increasing burden on Manikkam’s shoulders were added to their struggles.

Despite everything, she did not give up. She looked after her husband and children and began working as a farm laborer and as a domestic worker and kitchen assistant in other homes. The financial situation also affected her children’s education: one of them had to drop out of school to work as an electrician’s apprentice and help support the family.

A Simple Skill, Such as Beekeeping, Can Open New Opportunities for Women Facing Difficulties

Manikkam’s life began to change when she joined Kudumbashree, a Kerala government program aimed at eradicating poverty and empowering women. Her strength, perseverance, and desire to support her family led her, in 2023, to enroll in the free beekeeping course offered through the “WELivE” program, organized by BREADS – the Salesian organization supporting this initiative in India – and held at the Don Bosco Chullikara center.

Through the “WELivE” project – an acronym for Women’s Empowerment through Livelihoods and Entrepreneurship – BREADS works in cities across Kerala y Karnataka with women from vulnerable and marginalized backgrounds.

In Kerala, the project offers formation and support to help as many as 2,000 women establish their own businesses: 500 are creating organic home gardens, while 1,500 are developing other small-scale agricultural or retail ventures.

Manikkam received training in entrepreneurial skills, basic bookkeeping, and market access.

She subsequently took part in a practical beekeeping course and was provided with beehives, equipment, and protective gear to establish her own microenterprise.

Through hard work and dedication, despite her literacy difficulties and limited technical knowledge, she has managed to expand her business to include 20 beehives. Little by little, she has begun to earn an income from honey production and the splitting of her hives.

The honey-producing season usually runs from mid-January to mid-May. Farmers can sell honey for around 200 rupees per kilogram (less than 2 euros), although production depends on environmental conditions and the survival of the hives. In a favorable cycle, the honeycombs can produce up to seven kilograms of honey.

Manikkam Sells Honey, Supports Her Family, and Inspires Other Women

The Salesian “WELivE” initiative has improved the financial situation of Manikkam and her family. Currently, Manikkam balances her work as a kitchen assistant with the income she earns from her small beekeeping business. But the change is not just financial. It is also personal: Manikkam takes pride in her work and lives with the dignity of someone who has found an opportunity to move forward.

Her story reflects the strength of many women who face poverty, a lack of opportunities, family burdens, and social difficulties. Thanks to support, formation, and guidance, Manikkam has transformed a life marked by adversity into a path of hope. As a quote from her testimony to BREADS puts it: “Where there are bees, there are flowers; and where there are flowers, there is new life and hope.” In Manikkam’s life, that hope has already begun to bear fruit.

Source: Misiones Salesianas