After the fiasco of the Nutrition Workshop, I absolutely refused to host another workshop. Just to show how weak my will is, the Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and health workers somehow coaxed me into doing another workshop! So after waiting six months, I finally got the funding to host the Natural Medicine Workshop. We hosted two sessions for all the CBOs and their HIV/AIDS Support Groups teaching them about the uses of local plants with medicinal purposes and how to make oils and ointments, among other things. What was once weed to the participants is now medicine. (They laughed when they also learned that I eat basil, which is a really common “weed” around here!) All of the curriculum material came straight from the NGO Action for Natural Medicine (ANAMED). (If you’d like more information, go to http://www.anamed.net/.)
We really covered a wide range of topics in a span of five days. Not only did we define traditional medicine, we discussed how natural medicine could be used to complement western medicine. (In fact, did you know that the anti-malarial medicine was made from Artemisia, a plant the Chinese kept secret for thousands of years?!) We embarked on a nature walk within 500 meters radius and found at least 25 local plants that had medicinal purposes. As people presented their most common illnesses, we taught them about the uses of specific plants to treat common illnesses. For people living with HIV/AIDS, they often suffer from opportunistic illnesses, like coughs, bronchitis, oral thrushes, etc. We especially taught them about the use of Artemisia, the $300 plant used to treat all strains of malaria and other illnesses, and moringa olefiera, also known as the “miracle plant”. For those who have dental problems (which is a major issue here), we showed them how to make dental powder using eucalyptus leaves. People’s favorite activity were the oils and ointments from chili pepper (good for arthritis and massage!), garlic (used for coughs), and other local plants. They learned how to make natural oils and ointments with cooking oil, candle wax, and kerosene. O.K., so I wouldn’t go near any fire if I were using the kerosene oil, but it’s actually used for scabies, a really common skin problem found in children. One of the highlights was watching a guy lather avocado all over him and calling it “natural lotion”. :)
The workshops went well overall and I felt pretty satisfied by the end. There were some kinks and issues that frustrated me, but this wasn’t quite as disastrous as the Nutrition Workshop (though there’s nothing quite like cholera to give you a scare). Although I have to admit I enjoyed the first week’s participants more than the second, because they seemed much more grateful, enthusiastic to learn, and more helpful. The second week’s participants complained a lot, who had unfortunately been too spoiled by the previous NGO. But all in all, people learned a lot and enjoyed themselves. Our award ceremonies ended with a lot of singing and dancing. They were happier still when I promised to help them start their nurseries with their own special plants!
The members even discussed about forming a coalition to start making natural oils and medications and then hosting a ceremony for me before I leave. Right now, these are all just words, so hopefully they’ll make them reality. I would be so happy though to see them do something with what their newfound knowledge!
Even I myself have discovered a stronger appreciation for Mother Nature around me. Forget all this witch doctor stigma; whatever happened to just living in harmony with our environment? The gifts that we’ve been given through our flowers and plants – so simple and so obscure – are to give us health, life, and hope. For the first time in a long time, I felt a surge of pride that I had actually done something worthy for the people here. I actually felt like that this was what people wanted and that they were gaining something from it, and I was so glad to have been part of that.
Anyway, pictures are worth a thousand words, so enjoy!! :)
So that was the most recent project I’ve been working on. Three more months to finish everything up!! In two weeks, I’ll be going away for a conference to figure out my next step in life. Anyone got any ideas??? :)
We really covered a wide range of topics in a span of five days. Not only did we define traditional medicine, we discussed how natural medicine could be used to complement western medicine. (In fact, did you know that the anti-malarial medicine was made from Artemisia, a plant the Chinese kept secret for thousands of years?!) We embarked on a nature walk within 500 meters radius and found at least 25 local plants that had medicinal purposes. As people presented their most common illnesses, we taught them about the uses of specific plants to treat common illnesses. For people living with HIV/AIDS, they often suffer from opportunistic illnesses, like coughs, bronchitis, oral thrushes, etc. We especially taught them about the use of Artemisia, the $300 plant used to treat all strains of malaria and other illnesses, and moringa olefiera, also known as the “miracle plant”. For those who have dental problems (which is a major issue here), we showed them how to make dental powder using eucalyptus leaves. People’s favorite activity were the oils and ointments from chili pepper (good for arthritis and massage!), garlic (used for coughs), and other local plants. They learned how to make natural oils and ointments with cooking oil, candle wax, and kerosene. O.K., so I wouldn’t go near any fire if I were using the kerosene oil, but it’s actually used for scabies, a really common skin problem found in children. One of the highlights was watching a guy lather avocado all over him and calling it “natural lotion”. :)
The workshops went well overall and I felt pretty satisfied by the end. There were some kinks and issues that frustrated me, but this wasn’t quite as disastrous as the Nutrition Workshop (though there’s nothing quite like cholera to give you a scare). Although I have to admit I enjoyed the first week’s participants more than the second, because they seemed much more grateful, enthusiastic to learn, and more helpful. The second week’s participants complained a lot, who had unfortunately been too spoiled by the previous NGO. But all in all, people learned a lot and enjoyed themselves. Our award ceremonies ended with a lot of singing and dancing. They were happier still when I promised to help them start their nurseries with their own special plants!
The members even discussed about forming a coalition to start making natural oils and medications and then hosting a ceremony for me before I leave. Right now, these are all just words, so hopefully they’ll make them reality. I would be so happy though to see them do something with what their newfound knowledge!
Even I myself have discovered a stronger appreciation for Mother Nature around me. Forget all this witch doctor stigma; whatever happened to just living in harmony with our environment? The gifts that we’ve been given through our flowers and plants – so simple and so obscure – are to give us health, life, and hope. For the first time in a long time, I felt a surge of pride that I had actually done something worthy for the people here. I actually felt like that this was what people wanted and that they were gaining something from it, and I was so glad to have been part of that.
Anyway, pictures are worth a thousand words, so enjoy!! :)
So that was the most recent project I’ve been working on. Three more months to finish everything up!! In two weeks, I’ll be going away for a conference to figure out my next step in life. Anyone got any ideas??? :)
Teaching about food groups
Nature Walk
Chili Ointment Practical
Not juice! Scabies Lotion (kerosene and cooking oil)
Studying the ANAMED poster
Week 1 Participants
Week 2 Participants
