Bees and Refugees
Find out how one CIC is helping refugees to rebuild their lives, while protecting a rare British bee.
Bees and refugees may seem like very different target groups, but for Ali Alzein the pairing makes complete sense: “Bees are very important for our ecosystem, for our survival as humans, but it’s a difficult environment and they’re in real danger. Refugees are also facing a hostile environment. The establishment has not only turned its back on refugees, it’s actively punishing them for seeking safety.”
Ali was introduced to beekeeping in Damascus by his grandfather. He shares, “I had to leave Syria so applied for asylum in the UK in 2014. I’d been working in the luxury fashion industry, so continued with that, but the disparity between people who could spend £1000 on an item of clothing on the one hand, and people living in refugee camps on the other hand, was difficult to cope with. I was struggling with my mental health. My grandpa suggested I start keeping bees. They were delivered on a rainy, foggy day, but they soon filled the garden with life. I found it so calming, so grounding.”
That experience prompted Ali to launch a community interest company (CIC) – Bees and Refugees. He decided to focus on the native British black bee, which until recently was thought to be extinct.
The CIC runs therapeutic beekeeping workshops for refugees, helping them to process the trauma they’ve experienced. Workshops are also available for children, charities and local businesses. Most of the workshops are held in London, but Bees and Refugees also has a farm in Otford, Kent, which the CIC has renovated and turned into a community space. Ali shares, “People spend the day here in a beautiful, safe space. We cook together and teach them all about bees.”
The CIC also raises awareness about the difficulties that refugees face, and it fundraises to support them. Ali shares, “Many of our community members come from Gaza. Some have lost more than 20 members of their family and have relatives who are stuck in Rafah. So, most of our work right now is focused on supporting this community.”
The CIC is making a real difference, both on bee numbers and on refugees. Ali, says, “It has a real impact on people. One man used to keep bees before he came to the UK. He said that working with bees again was the first time he’s felt at home since the day he left Syria seven years ago.”
The theme of this year’s Refugee Week is ‘Our Home’, so we asked Ali what home means to him.
“The home I came from is still not a safe place for me to return to, but for me, home is about community. I have an amazing community here, which has become a second family. We’re like a colony of bees!”
Bees and Refugees has received grants from Hammersmith United Charities and other organisations but is mainly self-funded. It raises income by managing beehives and insect hotels for local businesses, and by hosting corporate away days. However, it couldn’t survive without the help of volunteers. Ali says, “Bees and Refugees is the result of the collective work of so many people, so many buzzing bees.”
Find out more
- If you’re interested in supporting Bees and Refugees through volunteering, a corporate partnership or a donation, please visit their website.
- You can also follow the CIC’s work on Instagram, X and Facebook.