技传山海 甜润非洲：一条从长沙到肯尼亚的甜蜜链条

In 2017, Aholipama Chelagat Rutto from Baringo County, Kenya, travelled to Changsha, China, to attend the Comprehensive Beekeeping and Grain-Oil Crop Yield Training Course for Developing Countries. The training was organized by China’s Ministry of Commerce and undertaken by Hunan Agricultural Group. In the nine years after she completed her training in Changsha, Rutto brought modern beekeeping techniques back to Baringo, including Langstroth hive operation, active colony splitting, pest and disease control, honey ripeness identification and honey extraction. She grew from an ordinary trainee into a local agricultural extension officer, passing on these skills to roughly 84 beekeeping groups across Baringo County. In 2025, the 21-member Lelkolo women’s group led by Rutto harvested 612 kilograms of honey, earning about 500,000 Kenyan shillings (around 25,000 RMB / 3,850 US dollars). In 2026, the women’s group opened its own honey shop and launched its proprietary honey brand.

2017年，肯尼亚巴林戈郡的阿霍利帕马·切拉加特·鲁托来到中国长沙，参加由中国商务部主办、湖南省农科集团有限公司承办的“发展中国家蜜蜂生产与粮油作物增产综合技术培训班”。自长沙学成归国的9年间，鲁托把学到的朗氏蜂箱使用、人工分蜂、病虫害防治、蜂蜜成熟度鉴别、蜂蜜分离等现代养蜂技术带回巴林戈。她从普通学员成长为当地农业推广员，将这套技术传授给巴林戈郡大约84个养蜂小组。2025年，鲁托所在的莱尔科洛妇女小组共有21名成员，收获蜂蜜612公斤，销售收入约50万肯尼亚先令（约2.5万元人民币，约3850美元）。2026年，这个妇女小组开设自有蜂蜜门店，推出属于自己的蜂蜜品牌。

Rolling out the new technology was never easy. By local tradition, beekeeping was men’s work, and it was once taboo for women to keep bees. The most vital skill Rutto learned in Changsha was active colony splitting. “In Kenya in the past, we just placed hives and waited,” Rutto said. “In China, I learned how to split one bee colony into multiple colonies to achieve large-scale beekeeping.” A desert locust plague wiped out large areas of crops in Baringo in 2020. Severe drought struck again in 2026, triggering a sharp drop in maize and bean production. Amid repeated disasters, Rutto kept teaching hands-on, one hive at a time. In 2022, the first harvest came from the initial 16 hives. Bound by old customs, the women still asked men for help at that time. At the second harvest, group chair Grace Cheserem opened a beehive all by herself for the first time. “I listened to my own breath under the protective veil, carefully lifted out the first honeycomb frame. Golden honey shone clearly in the sun, and the sisters around me cheered.” Today, Cheserem owns 10 hives and runs her family apiary. “Now my husband and I share family responsibilities,” she said.

推广新技术的道路充满挑战。在当地传统习俗里，养蜂历来是男性的工作，妇女养蜂曾被视作禁忌。鲁托在长沙学到最核心的技术就是人工分蜂。“过去在肯尼亚，我们只是把蜂箱放出去干等，”鲁托说，“在中国，我学会了如何把一个蜂群拆分成多个蜂群，实现规模化养蜂。”2020年，沙漠蝗灾让巴林戈郡大片庄稼绝收；2026年严重旱情来袭，玉米、豆类大幅减产。灾害不断，鲁托依旧逐个蜂箱手把手教学。2022年，第一批16个蜂箱迎来首次采蜜。受传统习惯影响，当时妇女们还会请男性帮忙。等到第二次收获，小组组长格蕾丝·切塞雷姆第一次独立打开蜂箱。“听着防护面罩下自己的呼吸声，小心翼翼地抽出第一块巢脾，金黄色的蜂蜜在阳光下清晰可见，周围的姐妹们发出了欢呼。”如今，切塞雷姆拥有10个蜂箱，经营着自家蜂场。她说：“现在我和丈夫可以共同承担家庭责任。”

Beekeeping brings more than honey revenue; it gives local women a buffer against climate shocks. Faith Kitonyi, secretary of the group, said: “Without income from beekeeping, our lives would be extremely tough. Beekeeping has become our safeguard amid climate uncertainty.” Rutto plans to introduce honey value-added processing to the women’s group next year, training them to make body lotion, lip balm, beeswax crafts and other by-products. Reflecting on this journey, Rutto commented: “Knowledge holds true value only when shared with more people.” From training classrooms in Changsha to apiaries across the countryside of Baringo, each beehive yields not just golden honey, but also local people’s hopes for a better life.

养蜂带来的不只是蜂蜜收入，更为当地妇女提供了抵御气候波动的保障。小组秘书费思·基托尼说：“如果没有养蜂的收入，我们的生活会十分艰难。养蜂已经成为我们应对气候不确定性的依靠。”鲁托计划明年向妇女小组推广蜂蜜深加工理念，培训她们制作身体乳、润唇膏、蜂蜡制品等衍生产品。回望这段历程，鲁托感慨：“知识只有分享给更多人，才拥有真正的价值。”从长沙的培训课堂，到巴林戈乡间的蜂场。一只只蜂箱，收获的不仅是金黄蜂蜜，更承载着当地民众对美好生活的期盼。

Though separated by vast mountains and seas, agricultural technology bridges China and Kenya. Every beehive carries the sincerity of technological exchange and mutual assistance, weaving a warm story of friendship and common development between Hunan and Africa.

山海相隔，技通万里。小小的蜂箱承载着技术互通、民生互助的初心，续写着湘非携手、共赴美好生活的温情篇章。