Case study · Papua New Guinea
From hive to hope: How Ari Ani Health Products is building a healthier future in Morobe
In the misty mountains of Buang LLG, Bulolo District, a family enterprise is turning Papua New Guinea’s natural abundance into products that support health, livelihoods and local pride.
“I would never have achieved what I have today without the support I received. The BLP Small Grant Facility and the Lily Magazine Competition gave me the chance to turn eight years of beekeeping into a real business. This support did more than grow my company—it created jobs for my family and community. I am truly grateful.”
Ari Ani Health Products creates natural wellness essentials from bee products and locally sourced ingredients—from raw honey and honey, ginger and lemon cough drops to rendered beeswax, soothing salves, reusable beeswax wraps, raw sugar and healthy fruit candies. At its heart is a simple purpose: to offer chemical-free choices for first aid, wellbeing and everyday living while strengthening local beekeepers and farmers.
A winning idea takes flight
From small beginnings, the business grew in 2024 after its founder Alma Napo won the K10,000 grand prize in PNG’s Lily Magazine Competition for creating the company’s flagship Honey Ginger Lemon Cough Drops. The award transformed a proven recipe—and nearly eight years of beekeeping experience—into an opportunity to build a family business with wider community impact.
Based in Buang LLG in Morobe Province, Ari Ani was founded to put PNG’s honey, beeswax and other natural resources to work for local families. Alma Napo’s hands-on knowledge of beekeeping continues to shape products designed to be practical, natural and effective.
Growth that reaches the community
Ari Ani employs four permanent family staff and, during production periods, provides temporary work for 12 people from nearby villages. The six women and six men in these seasonal roles earn income while contributing to a growing local value chain. For the business, success is measured not only in products sold, but also in opportunities created.
A small grant with lasting impact
Alma Napo learned about BLP’s Small Grant Facility through BLP’s support for the annual Lily Magazine Competition, which helps Papua New Guinean small and medium-sized enterprises start and grow. After reaching out and applying, Ari Ani successfully secured grant support in April 2025.
Before the grant, limited honey-extraction capacity, deteriorating homemade hive boxes and inadequate maintenance equipment were holding the business back. Heavy mountain rainfall accelerated wear on the boxes and hive stands, while the shortage of suitable equipment made it difficult to expand production and respond to demand.
The funding enabled Ari Ani to purchase and import two-frame honey extractors from New Zealand, acquire bricks for more durable log hive stands, and invest in tools for ongoing hive management. The business also sourced new hive splits from farms in Eastern Highlands Province, along with 12 starter boxes and 20 super boxes from local honey firms in Goroka. Together, these investments have improved honey processing, strengthened hive management and increased the supply of raw honey and beeswax products.
(New box hive boxes)
(New honey extractor)
Alma Napo’s message to other entrepreneurs is grounded in experience: begin with the resources already in your hands, make quality your standard and keep looking for opportunities.
“Competitions and programmes such as the BLP Small Grants Facility can provide a vital boost, but lasting progress also requires consistency, community-minded service and a willingness to keep improving. When setbacks come, do not give up. Continue with determination and, above all, with committed faith in God as Creator, provider and sustainer.”
BLP supports SMEs across 12 Pacific Island nations by connecting businesses with quality advisory services, business tools, grants, concessionary lending, and other financial services designed to support inclusive and resilient private sector growth.
To start your journey with BLP, you can self-assess your needs by using the free online tools available to help small- and medium-sized businesses diagnose areas in their businesses that an advisor could improve.
The first step can be the online Business Health Check. You can also check your business's resilience to respond to crises or climate change challenges on the Business Continuity Planner and the Climate Action Sensor. If you prefer to meet a local BLP representative in person to discuss your business, get in touch with our local partners to arrange a face-to-face Diagnostic.