Refugees and Bees

Available for over a year

Dr Ryad Alsous, a beekeeping expert and refugee from Syria, has kept bees for over 40 years and is a former professor of agriculture at Damascus University. The war forced him to flee in 2013 and all his hives have since been destroyed. Almost two years after arriving in the UK Ryad was donated a hive of native black bees, which he has expanded into a further seven hives. Now, with the help of Sanctuary Kirklees, Ryad has set up a beekeeping course in Huddersfield called The Buzz Project. It teaches local refugees and job seekers how to keep bees and produce honey, whilst helping them learn English and find a place and purpose in the community. Caz Graham joins Ryad at one of the fortnightly training sessions to find out how he's rebuilding his life through bees and helping others to do the same.