FONDATION DOUASSOH · GONTOUGO, CÔTE D'IVOIRE
The Hives of Hope
When biodiversity becomes a lever for economic independence.
In the Gontougo region, Fondation Douassoh supports rural women in building a sustainable beekeeping sector — one capable of generating income, strengthening pollination, and contributing to local agricultural development.
THE CHALLENGE
Active women. Available resources. Value not yet fully captured.
How can the natural and agricultural resources already present in the region be turned into lasting income, while strengthening biodiversity and women's economic independence?
Seasonal, irregular income that depends on selling raw agricultural produce.
Little local processing of agricultural products, so little added value is captured locally.
Limited access to equipment and financing to develop new activities.
Untapped agricultural potential around Gontougo's vast cashew plantations.
OUR RESPONSE
Four pillars, one shared movement
Equip, train, structure, process: each pillar builds toward the next, all the way to bringing honey to market.
01
Equip
Providing modern hives and complete beekeeping equipment kits to women's associations.
02
Train
Technical training in beekeeping practices and ongoing support for the women producers.
03
Structure
Organising into associations and cooperatives, collective structuring and long-term support.
04
Process and sell
Collecting, extracting, packaging, and bringing honey and its by-products to market.
THE PILOT IN FIGURES
Phase 1, launching in 2026
These figures are the targets for the first phase. None of them is yet a result measured in the field.
Phase target
10,000
modern hives
Phase target
5,000 to 10,000
women trained in beekeeping
THE BEE AS A LEVER
A hive produces more than honey.
It pollinates the surrounding orchards, it gives a steady income to the woman tending it, it belongs to an association learning to organise together, and it opens the way to local processing of honey, wax, pollen, and propolis.
A single hive thus connects biodiversity, income, collective organisation, and economic transformation.
WOMEN AT THE CENTRE
They are not at the end of the chain. They are its heart.
Producers, managers, entrepreneurs, decision-makers: the programme places women at every stage of decision-making, not just at production.
The women's associations of Toundiani, brought together around the beekeeping programme.
The women's associations of Bouko, brought together around the beekeeping programme.
The women's associations of Tanda, brought together around the beekeeping programme.
The women's associations of Guiméré, brought together around the beekeeping programme.
The women's associations of Beleoule, brought together around the beekeeping programme.
Beekeeping awareness event held on International Women's Rights Day.
Producers
Managers
Rural entrepreneurs
Decision-makers
Drivers of local development
ENVIRONMENT
Protecting pollinators also means protecting agriculture.
Bees play an essential role in Gontougo's agricultural ecosystems. By placing hives at the heart of cashew-growing areas, the programme helps strengthen pollinator populations and encourage farming practices more compatible with biodiversity.
30 to 40%
possible improvement in cashew orchard pollination, under favourable conditions
Conditional estimate, not guaranteed
OUR VISION
2026 -> 2030: three stages, not a single outcome
2026
Launched — pilot phase
10,000 hives
Structuring the first cooperatives, testing the model, refining the training.
->
Phase target
Gradual expansion
Gradual scale-up of the programme across the territory.
2030
5-year projection
400,000 hives
A structured regional beekeeping ecosystem, at the scale of the territory.
PARTNERSHIPS
A project built together with partners
Public institutions
Funders
Foundations
NGOs
Companies
Technical partners
Agricultural organisations
Research institutions
SUPPORT THE PROGRAMME
Five ways to get involved
Fund
Equip a women's association with modern hives and beekeeping equipment.
Support
Bring technical expertise in beekeeping, cooperative structuring, or commercialisation.
Equip
Provide or fund additional beekeeping equipment for the associations.
Structure
Support the processing and commercialisation of honey and its by-products.
Develop
Support the programme's scale-up across the Gontougo region.
Let's build the Gontougo beekeeping sector together.
Funder, institution, company, or technical organisation: let's talk about how your support can fit into the programme.