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Guardian women of the Maya bee

The storms in the Yucatan Peninsula have decimated the melipona bee hives, but dozens of Mayan Guardians have come to the rescue.

The Guardians and the bees are a family
The bees in the hive
Guardian in the Meliponario
Women of a productive group
The harm of the storm
A flooded workshop
The Guardians had to look for dry interiors to keep the hives while the storm passed
The protection of the hives was difficult, since most of the houses were flooded. They lost material things and their work equipment.
Yucatan
Partnerships for the Goals
$5,494.79 USD
fundraised_label $1,500 USD
$3,159.92 USD
fundraised_by 27 HIPGivers
$2,334.87 USD
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Educampo - Fundación por una Nueva Solución, A.C.
México, Ciudad de México
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The melipona bee is a native species of the Yucatan Peninsula, whose relationship with the Mayan people goes back to ancient times. The Mayans considered them goddesses and used to made several offerings in their name. Sadly, this little stingless bee is on the brink of extinction due to the deterioration of its ecosystem, climate change and natural disasters.

Mayan Guardians

Almost 200 Mayan women of Campeche and Yucatán have organized to give hope to the Melipona Bee, building Meliponarios, small sanctuaries for their conservation. They are like a family: The Guardians give them food, love and a home, and in gratitude, the bees allow them to use their honey, and so, the women can generate income for their financial independence.

The Mayan Guardians are organized into 23 groups and have built meliponarios in communities of Calkiní and Hopelchén in Campeche, and in Chacsinkín, Dzán, Maní, Teabo, Tekax and Oxkutzcab.

2020, a year full of challenges

The arrival of various tropical storms to the Yucatan peninsula left large material losses, flooded and isolated communities, and great destruction in the habitat of the Melipona bee.

Despite measures to mitigate the ravages of the storms, more than 90% of the Mayan Guardians suffered losses: meliponarios destroyed, wet hives, dead bees.

The Guardianas also had to face the ravages of the health and economic crisis derived from the pandemic, the women totally depend on the sales generated to be able to repair and maintain the meliponarios.

A call to action!

Now more than ever is when we must rebuild the meliponarios (roofed structures) and workshops, to reproduce beehives and safeguard this species. With your donation we will be able to promote their recovery and continue with the training process for the creation of rural companies, which will allow them to access a decent future for themselves and for the bees.

Neither of them will give up, and with your help, they will be able to save themselves.

Remember: the bee is not a domestic animal, and a lot of training is required to handle a meliponario.

Educampo

NGO dedicated to improve the lives of Mexican families through the development and promotion of sustainable productive projects in rural communities.

Learn more about us, follow us on our social networks: Educampo MX https://educampo.org.mx/

To find out other ways to help, write to jromero@educampo.org.mx

Help us reach the goal, invite friends and family to invest for the Mayan Guardians!

Educampo - Fundación por una Nueva Solución, A.C.
México, Ciudad de México