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This lesson explores how people in a small
region of India share their ideas for the
benefit of everyone.
The bee is a wonderful metaphor for

Whilst it is collecting pollen to provide

nourishment for the hive, it is also
benefiting the flowers, rather than
impoverishing them.
It is a process of renewal.
Inventors, and others with ingenious
ideas usually need two things to spread
their ideas:
Anil Gupta has founded a network of village
entrepreneurs in the Indian province of
Gujarat.
He has provided a means whereby the

of rural people can be shared, and become

profitable.
A local farmer developed a slow tipping
mechanism on his bullock cart to
distribute dung more quickly across his
land.
Ganeshbhai Dodiya invented
this ingenious crop sprayer
using recyclable materials
attached to his motorbike.
Shashikant Shukla
invented a
technique which
allows silkworms to
emerge from their
cocoons before
their silk is spun,

so the worms are not killed as in other methods.

Farmer Shri Abraham Mathew has developed
dwarf Nutmeg trees which can be grown
between coconut trees. They produce larger,
heavier and better quality fruits.
Some inventions are dual-purpose - like
this exercise bike which does the
washing at the same time!
And you never know
when an amphibious
bicycle could come in
handy!
Some inventions are yet to be fully
developed - like this fly trap idea,

or these
battery charging shoes.
But some inventions have been fully
developed by manufacturers, and
provide a good income for the inventor,
like this trench digging machine.
Over the last fifteen years, the Honey Bee
Network has proved to be very effective in

the ingenious ideas of uneducated village people,

and improving all their lives.
 Glossary
• application – use, purpose
• sustainability – the ability to keep something
going indefinitely
• profitable – money-making
• technique – method, skill
• amphibious – something that can go on
land and in water
Activities to complete this lesson include:

• groups develop an
invention to solve
a problem
• discuss
advantages and
disadvantages of
working in a team Click on the image above to view
and/or download learning activities.

Rate this lesson here.

If you enjoyed this lesson, why not try:

It’s a Wind-Up

How Trevor Baylis used his skills to design and build a wind-up
radio. The importance of communication in the modern world.
African art.

The Gift of Sight

How the eye works. Some causes of blindness. Saving

sight in the developing world. Testing the senses.
 Useful Web Links

• [Link] More information on the honey bee

network
• [Link] - more stories from the honey bee
network
• [Link] - a social
enterprise is a business whose main aim is to give something back
to the people in a community – check out how children can get
involved in social enterprise
• [Link] - lots of stories
about children who have come up with some great inventions
• [Link] - got a great idea for a business that
will help your community? These young people have!
• [Link] - enterprise education for
children and young people aged 4-25