From January to March 2005 BBC World will profile examples of the kind of project we are looking for in the Hands On
short form programmes. These examples will also be profiled in Newsweek in a special advertising feature.

Click an image below to view project.

7. BEE-ING NATURAL:
Making Honey In Uganda

In Uganda, only 3 percent of the population has access to electricity, a severe problem that makes this one of the poorest countries in the world.

Maria Difonzo is an entrepreneur from Kampala. Her honey production business, Bee Natural Products, employs subsistence farmers in one of the most disadvantaged rural areas, who raise bees to earn a little extra cash. In order to make the freshest honey, Maria processes it right at the source. But to keep her factory running and her company afloat, she needs a constant, reliable power supply.

With financing obtained from the Uganda Energy Fund, Difonzo was able to approach UltraTec, specialists in providing "off-grid" energy systems. They installed a power source at her factory that combines solar energy with a diesel generator, supplemented with electricity from the main source when available.

A local orphanage has already benefited from keeping honey production local. There are jobs to fill at the factory, and with an eye toward the future, Maria is training kids to keep their own bees.