The people behind the mission
Komonil is about 35 Q’eqchi’ and Mopan Maya women, of all ages, across more than 20 villages in the Toledo District of Belize.
The beetenders
The beetenders own their hives and run their own businesses. They are also the authority on the bees themselves: what each one is called locally, how it behaves, and where it nests. When their field knowledge and a textbook disagree, Komonil goes with the beetenders.
Adam Borger
Adam came to Toledo through eight years on the board of a clinic providing free healthcare in the district. That work introduced him to the communities Komonil now serves, and to how outside support can help or hinder them.
Toledo is often called Belize’s “forgotten district”. Of the country’s six districts, it has the highest poverty rate, according to the Statistical Institute of Belize.
Before Komonil, Adam spent fifteen years in cloud software and digital marketing sales, helping companies streamline how they work. He holds a B.S. in Business Management – Organizational Leadership and in Spanish.
He lived in Belize for three years to establish Komonil, and has invested more than US$200,000 of his own money in it. Komonil has been self-funded to date.
Benita Ba
Benita, a Q’eqchi’ Maya woman with a degree in finance, first joined Komonil as a finance intern. She was then contracted as its project manager. She has since stepped back to focus on the thesis for her MBA.
Her path is the one Komonil’s internships are built to offer students and universities: real responsibility from the start, and a route from intern to staff.