Turning Heartbreak into Honey in Central Asia

Several years ago, a pastor’s son tragically died.  To help him recover from his loss a friend suggested he take up beekeeping.  His friend told him that bees are fascinating and can help you heal.  Ready to try anything he acquired his first beehive and learned the art of beekeeping. Gradually, he added more beehives and realized that this hobby could be a source of badly needed income for his family and ministry.  He expanded the number of beehives and prayed about teaching other pastors about beekeeping.  It was at this time that he learned about the Tying Vines Marketplace business development fund, and he acquired a loan from us to expand his business.  His vision was to train and equip other pastors in the business.  We invested in him and as of August 2022, he had reached 50 beehives.  With his honey harvest, he was able to pay back half of the loan and still have needed income. He is preparing to train other pastors and we are now investigating opportunities for selling the honey in the US and other markets.  

The success of any business fostered by Tying Vines is measured in four areas:

• Profit:  it must be profitable and engage in transparent financial management
• People: it must provide jobs, training, safe working conditions, fair compensation and treat people with respect and dignity
• Purpose: it must give back to the community, support local community organizations, and integrate faith-based values
• Planet: must not harm the environment and work to improve the environment in which it operates.