Terms of Reference (TOR) for Conducting Assessment on Existing Lalibela Honey Potential, Identifying Honey & Beeswax Products & Conducting Training

Introduction:

The Center for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE), established in 2004, is a pioneer trade promotion organization in Ethiopia. It provides promotional and capacity building support services targeting women involved in Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs), with a vision to create globally competitive women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia. CAWEE seeks to empower women economically, recognizing it as crucial for development.

As part of the "Visit Lalibela" project, funded by GIZ SI Job and implemented by CAWEE in Amhara Region, CAWEE is looking for a professional consultant to assess Lalibela's existing honey potential, identify honey and beeswax products and conduct trainings to young women to be able to prodcue4 products that tourists in Lalibela can buy.

The assessment will involve a desk review and physical assessment within Lalibela aiming to identify honey and beeswax products that are unique to Lalibela and appealing to tourists. This includes exploring packaging options for honey, as well as identifying additional products such as hand balms, candles, propolis, royal jelly and honey drinks. The consultant will provide recommendations for manufacturing these products and making them accessible to tourists.

Main Tasks: 

• Review relevant documents on forest beekeeping and honey production, processing, post harvest handling and marketing practices in the Amhara Region, with a focus on Lalibela.
• Assess beekeeping systems and practices within Lalibela to understand the current situation and identify potentials and challenges. 
• Assess packaging options for honey in various sizes. 
• Identify prototypes for propolis collectors suitable for local beehives and develop collection instructions. 
• Identify products that can be manufactured by beneficiaries, proposing materials and machines necessary for production.
• Produce and submit a study report.
• Present assessment findings at a validation workshop, incorporating feedback, and submitting the final study report. 
• Based on the validated and final version of the study report, conduct marketable, technical skills training to fifty (50) female youth in Lalibela, hands-on technical training in beeswax extraction/rendering and transform them into products such as lip balm and beeswax candles that tourists can choose and purchase from Lalibela.
• Facilitate/produced tools and materials required to make innovative items (lip balms and beeswax candles) that are being produced both domestically and abroad.

Key Deliverables: 

• Packaging options for honey in various sizes suggested. 
• Prototypes for propolis collectors identified, with collection instructions developed. 
• Products suitable for manufacturing by beneficiaries identified, with materials and machines proposed. 
• Study report produced and submitted.
• Assessment findings presented at a validation workshop, with feedback incorporated into the final report. 
• Technical skills conducted for 50 female youth and products such as lip balm and beeswax candles produced that tourists can choose and purchase from Lalibela

Desired Outcome: The assessment should include recommendations to overcome challenges in honey production and marketing, improve beneficiaries' livelihoods and develop packaging materials and acceptable standards of honey and beeswax products for tourists in Lalibela.

Period: April 30 to October 31, 2024

Qualifications, Qualities, and Experience: 

• Master’s degree in Agriculture, Environmental Science, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in bee farming/beekeeping.
• Expertise in drafting professional documents in accordance with international standards. 
• Experience in agriculture-based consultancy services. 
• Excellent writing and communication skills both English and Amharic. 
• Private sector experience, especially in women's economic empowerment, is favorable. 
• Knowledge of the Ethiopian context is essential.
• Female applicants are encouraged to apply