When Ryad Alsous arrived in England, he knew one thing: he wanted to keep bees. The insects had been a major part of his life in Syria, and fleeing his war-torn homeland, it was a precious certainty amid so much chaos.
As a lecturer at the University of Damascus, Ryad had built a respected reputation for his research on Syrian bees. With over 500 hives, he produced over ten tons of honey every year. Fleeing his country in 2013, he lost everything.
Yet even with all his knowledge and experience, Ryad didn't know if his dream would be possible in the UK. "I found that there is a lot of rain and the temperature isn't very high. All the time I was thinking, How can I set up another project here?"
The wet weather wasn't Ryad's only challenge. The language barrier and a vastly overqualified CV made it difficult to find work. Eventually, Ryad volunteered at the Huddersfield Beekeepers' Association, but he was still without a colony of his own. Finally, Facebook brought him into contact with a woman in Manchester who was willing to donate an entire colony of rare British black bees.
"In one year, I was able to split the colony she gave me into seven. I realised that the beekeeping project could become very profitable and successful in the UK. "
Soon, Ryad found himself with 17 hives, but he wasn't finished yet.His inner teacher was itching to get out. Through City of Sanctuary, a British refugee charity, Ryad began to run beekeeping workshops for refugees and job seekers. The Buzz Project was born.
Today, the Buzz Project houses 14 hives, where Ryad shares his expertise. It has started to bear fruit. Last year, they produced half a ton of honey （around 1, 000 jars）. But for Ryad, the most important thing is bringing people together.
"We have local people, jobseekers and volunteers, in addition to refugees. All of them work together doing the same job. The exchange between the groups, the information and skills, helps them integrate very well and improve their language skills," he says.
