GEDI RUINS KIPEPEO BUTTERFLY PROJECT

Back Ground
The Kipepeo Butterfly project is based at Gede Ruins national Monument about 18km south of Malindi. Commu-nities participating in the project, by raising butterfly pupae for export, live on margins of the forest. About 872 farmers are directly involved in breeding. These breeders have been clustered in 26 groups. Kipepeo has a staff of 9 based at the Centre supported by Kenyan and foreign volunteers from time to time, kipepeo is a Swahili word simp-ly means Butterfly.

Arabuko Sokoke Forest is of internationally recognized importance (ranked second in Africa for birds) because of its endemic and endangered species of birds (six species) and mammals (three species). It is surrounded by a rapidly growing rural population that is hard pressed for land, jobs and income sources, and suffers much from damage to crops and livelihood caused by forest wildlife. The long-term future of the Forest depends crucially on the support of the local community and their leaders and politicians for its conservation. The Kipepeo Project was first set up with a grant of US$ 50,000 given by the UNDP Global Environmental Facility NGO Small Grants Program in June 1993. The project is managed and administered by staff seconded from National Museums of Kenya.
Kipepeo Project is peoples’ livelihood- biodiversity conservation initiative of the NMK which is undertaken with strong partnerships with relevant state and non-state agencies including Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI) and Nature Kenya. Kipepeo markets butterflies and other nature-based products both locally and internationally for local communities’ livelihood and conservation purpos-es. Its main objective is to help develop positive attitudes among local people towards conservation of the Arabuko Sokoke Forest. This initiative has significantly helped reduce the threats faced by the forest from unsustainable use by local communities seeking out a living to meet their basic needs
Communities participating in the Project, by raising butterfly pupae for export, live on the margins of the Forest. The pupa produced by the breeders is delivered to the Kipepeo main office which is located at Gedi ruins for export. Kipepeo project also runs a live Butterfly exhibit and providing a showcase for the Project in the Visitors' Center. The butterfly exhibition and training facility at Gede provides live butterfly and other nature based products for display to visitors. Beekeeping is the science and art of rearing bees. It is important to keep bees for the production of honey and other bee products e.g., beeswax, propolis, pollen (bee bread), royal jelly and bee venom; Honey used for food, medicine and income. Beekeeping is also important for pollination and recreational activities.
The honeybees provide pollination services, thereby playing a vital role in food security and overall agricultural productivity. The farmers produced two types of honey depending on the location. The mainland (terrestrial) forest and the Mangrove forest. The beekeepers are over 5000 individuals who make a living through the sale of honey and other bee products. Kipepeo does value addition thus produces quality honeys that have been approved by several recognized standard institution. The honey is packaged in 500gm and 250gram jam jars. The project af-fects indirectly over 50 000 people in 50 villages around Arabuko Sokoke. They have been organized into 26 com-munity groups whose representatives interact with the project management through regular meeting where produc-tion, marketing and welfare issues are discussed. The project staff also visits members in the various villages on regular field visits.