Uganda is another outstanding success case. We had this bee project that resulted in products. Quality science and one that connects to the community. Bee keeping is a huge issue in Uganda. The use of propolis and bee venom is very important. We supported a project that resulted in propolis tea that has been branded and is on its way to the market. We are dealing with Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) protection for it. We are trying to find the best way to protect it within the institutional IPR policy of Makerere University and the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology.

The propolis tea and propolis powder in Uganda is for us a success that we need to shout about because of the scientific process that went into it. The science in Makerere on the propolis was a very high-level science.

The propolis tea is actually a medicinal product. This is scientific intervention at a point when the private sector in Uganda and the bee keepers association were already struggling with how tosell propolis to the masses. It is something that they were trying to get into the market but there was no scientific backing. They used to sell propolis in some fairly crude form. We came up and supported them. This is a research project that has led to a product that is ready to go to the market.

There is also the propolis powder. This is a powder that can be used in the food industry, the pharmaceutical industry, in the medical field, you can use it in almost every industry. Connect that to the bee farmers and begin to see how this project is able to change lives from the ground up. We are talking about 9000 plus farmers, products and distribution channels or supply chains that are already exciting. Thus, we have an opportunity there to make a big impact on the lives of the farmers but also to Research and Development(R&D) industry.