I went over to local beekeeping supply store today to pick up 21 hive tools to give to beekeepers in Guinea (they make great gifts!), and not only did Tom, the owner, give me the hive tools at a rock bottom price, he donated EIGHTEEN brand spanking new bee suits!! Wow! This will certainly be appreciated!
I think I'm going to bring nine of them on this Guinea trip (leaving Monday!), and bring the other nine to Tanzania in October.
In addition to this, a local friend Joe Perrigoue has donated a bee suit, so this trip is well supplied with bee suits!
And let's not forget MaiLien who donated the camera for young Mamadou.
Pictured: last year Bee Busters, Inc, sent along about a dozen old bee suits.
Now of course the goal of these projects is by no means to bring equipment, the whole idea is that they only need the knowledge of what to do to profitably keep bees, and one wants to avoid fostering a dependance on supplies being brought in. But, that being said, if I can bring some things such as bee suits and hive tools as a gift, especially when it comes from the beekeeping community here, it is certainly appreciated!