In her apiary located at the village of Kardala in the Northern Jordan Valley, Maleka was moving lightly and energetically among the beehives, wearing a full beekeeping suit. Despite the strong wind blowing on that day, she managed to complete the process of increasing the bee hive frames, hoping to increase the honey production next May.

“I got stung by bees, three times today,” Maleka said. “But I got the job done,” she added. 

Thanks to the (TURBO) project -Tubas Rural Business Opportunities and Social Innovation- which is implemented by the Business Women Forum- Palestine (BWF), Maleka has received extensive training and gained the skills needed to become a beekeeper. She even went to Italy, visited an Italian apiary and learned more about the production of organic honey in rural areas.

“Before, I thought I had all the skills needed for beekeeping, but after my study tour to Italy, I discovered that there is always more to learn - from the proper methods of beekeeping and breeding bees to harvesting hive products and using them to make creams, sweets, and fruit jams,”she said.

The Business Women Forum- Palestine (BWF) also helped Maleka to create a visual identity and a business brand for her project, which makes it easier for her to market the good quality honey and gain customers' trust.

Years ago, Maleka, a mother of 8, was working in the ‘Women’s Association’ private apiary, before it was destroyed by the occupation bulldozers.

After she got the project grant, she was able to buy 20 beehives and open her own small apiary, which she named “The Valley Seasons”, as she hoped for it to be the finest in the Northern Jordan Valley.