The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela: A Tale from Africa

In Ethiopia’s mist-wreathed highlands above Lalibela’s rock-hewn churches, bees spin liquid gold in tree-hollow hives, drawing traders from Axum to Addis—but young Almaz wants more than a taste; she vows her honey will eclipse every jar in the mountain market. Men scoff, branding beekeeping “men’s work,” yet their taunts only fuel her crusade for Gender Equality. She studies bee dances, weaves a bark-shield veil, and scrambles up wanza trunks even when thorns slice her palms like pomegranate seeds. Rain beats the plateau, hyenas cackle at dusk, and still she tends each buzzing colony, guided by ancestral whispers that cling to the cliffs like prayer flags. When harvest moon crowns the valley, her jars glow amber, smooth as Lalibela’s honey-colored stone, and the crowd tastes a truth sweeter than gossip: perseverance outshines prejudice, and Economic Justice begins when skill, not custom, chooses who guards the hive. Girls swap grinding stones for smokers, elders nod, and merchants learn tradition can stretch like warm wax. One question now hums louder than any bee: whose dream will topple the next tired rule? Tap the blue ➕ to Save to List for later inspiration, or hit the bold arrow to Learn More and connect your classroom, youth group, or congregation to Almaz’s sky-high pursuit of honey and hope.