Marketing Honey & Beaded Products

Interviewee

Sylvia Melcase

CABESI Shop Manager

Interviewers

Alison M. Jones

NWNL Director and Photographer

Bonnie Muench

Photographer and Book Designer

In Kapenguria, Kenya, on January 14, 2013

Introductory Note

NWNL was invited by CABESI Director Rolf Gloor to visit the CABESI Market Place to see items locally produced under the tutelage and support of CABESI to help local Pokot and Turkana community members establish a cash economy for themselves. The variety and quality of products was impressive; and the backroom production center for processing and bottling honey was certainly a “sweet” experience. The cash in CABESI members’ pockets helps them buy pumps for water, food for the family and school fees. The bee industry helps with conservation of this very arid local environment via education and planting vegetation to support the bees.

Outline

VISITING the CABESI MARKET PLACE
CABESI SOAP MAKING
CABESI CANDLE MAKING

Key Quote CABESI is a multiple development project in the North Rift Valley to improve the life of the local community, to reduce the environmental destructions, to use the natural sources in a sustainable way. – Market Place sign stating CABESI goals and objectives

VISITING the CABESI MARKET PLACE

NWNL Sylvia, thank you for our tour of this CABESI Market Place. I am interested to learn more about the goal of CABESI and what is being sold here.

SYLVIA MELCASE CABESI deals mostly with the selling of honey. We also have candles, propolis cream, and beaded greeting and Christmas cards you can send to friends. And we have many beauty and skin-care products. We also have these beaded belts, that we sell to men and women alike.

NWNL I see you feature local pollinators and other wildlife in your designs, thus promoting their value by celebrating their beauty.

NWNL Sylvia, how long have you been with CABESI, and what is your role?

SYLVIA MELCASE I’ve been here at CABESI as a cashier from October last year that explains the relevance and impact of the projects varied efforts.

NWNL Please read to us this great description of CABESI on your signs and labels.

SYLVIA MELCASE “CABESI is a multiple development project in the North Rift Valley to improve the life of the local community, to reduce the environmental destructions, to use the natural sources in a sustainable way.”

NWNL Who makes these products for CABESI?

SYLVIA MELCASE These products were made by many of the women in our community. They make them at home, and then they bring them into CABESI so we can sell them.

NWNL Where does the profit go? Who benefits?

SYLVIA MELCASE Both sides benefit, because our members make their products, bring them to us to buy, and then we sell their products at a slightly higher price. We all profit.

NWNL How does CABESI use that money?

SYLVIA MELCASE This money is used to buy the beads, leather and other décor and parts needed to make the belts and other such products – as well as to maintain our honey processing center in the back room.

NWNL Your signs are as beautiful as your products!. Here on one of your signs, you have posted explanations and descriptions of what is for sale here. What is the general message that they share with those who come into the shop?

SYLVIA MELCASE We first want everyone who comes in to understand what the name CABESI represents vis a vis our efforts to create income via the sales of certain products. The words CA at the beginning of the name CABESI refers to the efforts we are making to procure camels to provide transport for local people transporting their goods and water. We also set up camel centers to support this effort.

Then “BE” in CABESI represents our work to help people raise bees to produce the honey our members gather, process and sell. The final “SI” represents our silkworm project for cloth production.

NWNL Each of your signs here are full of many well-labeled and great photos….

SYLVIA MELCASE Yes, we want you to share photos of our staff. Mostly they are holding and showing off the products we offer.

Here we show a boy processing honey. Then we have this girl here making candles.

CABESI CANDLE MAKING

NWNL Would explain to us how the candles are made and how long it takes to make a candle?

SYLVIA MELCASE You can make one candle in about 15 minutes just by dipping wax for some time as you relax. You can read more about it here in our display on honey ready for sale.

NWNL It seems to be quite a process….

SYLVIA MELCASE This is how we make the candles. We clean the wax first Then it becomes clean. After cleaning the wax, we put on the machine. Then we dip pieces of wax inside the machine for it to melt. After melting, we usually use these instruments to make the candles.

At this point, we put the ribbons here, these white “strings” which are used to light the candles. After this wax melts, we dip the strings in for some time, and then we put them aside. Again, we put them inside for more time, then we put them aside. As we continue dipping the candle inside this wax, the candle becomes, larger.

After a while, we use scissors to cut the candle here on this counter. Finally, we measure these candles. Then we package them, and they are ready for sale.

NWNL Thank you for sharing that fascinating process.

CABESI SOAP MAKING

NWNL Tell us about the soap you sell here.

SYLVIA MELCASE This is how we do it. We measure two hundred part of water, in a jar and then add sodium hydroxide we set it aside. After that, we measure 270 grams of corn oil. Then we measure and add 270 grams of sunflower oil to mix together.

Then we set that aside. And measure 110 grams of wax and melt that. After it has melted, we mix in the corn oil and sunflower oil. Then we take 80 grams of honey to add, and put the mixture aside. We use a syringe to measure glycerine, and then we stir the mixture so that it becomes at least lighter. The next step is to use this apparatus to turn the mixture into becoming soap.

This is our soap display here in different shapes, also this shape. We also have this display of how we pour and shape our soap. When we finish the mixture it is still warm, and then we keep it in the fridge so its ready to move out easily for display. That’s how we make soap.

This is the honey soap we make from wax and honey, so you can see the shapes we get and the color it takes in our displays.

CABESI BEADING PROJECT

NWNL Do tell me more about the CABESI beading project.

SYLVIA MELCASE This is a beading project on goat skin, where we usually draw our pattern for beading – in this case, an insect. After drawing it, we sew the beads on with a needle. After sewing it, we insert on the card. This card is usually cut in the shape as you see displayed. Now we insert a banana leaf to cover it so it becomes attractive.

NWNL I see many beads back there! Where do all your beads come from?

SYLVIA MELCASE Our beads are bought in Nairobi.

NWNL I wonder where people like your mother or grandmother traditionally get their beads before they could buy them in Nairobi? When they couldn’t travel and trucks didn’t come bringing deliveries?

SYLVIA MELCASE I’m not aware.

Here in our back room is the processing zone where you can see Joseph working to make honey ready for sale.. After processing the honey, then we package into containers ready for sale.

NWNL Sylvia, not to be trite, but this back room is its own busy beehive! Thank you so much for the tour and explanations, and good luck with sales!

Posted by NWNL on May 16, 2024.
Transcription edited and condensed for clarity by Alison M. Jones.

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