Some people
call it old man’s tale. Some call is wisdom. Others, indigenous knowledge. Unfortunately,
it is also something we are moving away from, disowning all that a few
generations before us knew about nature, plants, trees, their medicinal
properties and how to make the most of it. The irony – scientific data and
research has, for decades, only confirmed what our ancestors knew.
A case in
point: the African cherry tree, Prunus Africana, which is found in the Aberdere highlands of Kenya. Traditional
healers have known how the tree’s bark is good for a host of illnesses – from
stomach upsets and stomach aches to wounds, loss of appetite and so on. Now the
pharmaceutical industry has also confirmed that the bark extract can treat a
condition called prostatic hyperplasia, a swollen prostate, which can increase
a person’s risk to prostate cancer.
Years of
research carried out by
the National Forestry Resources Research Institute in
collaboration with the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry have
led to a deeper understanding of the benefits of the tree that grows in the
Kibale and Mt. Rwenzori National Parks in Uganda.
Experts say that there was a
time when the tree was distributed throughout Africa – from Ethiopia to South
Africa and from the West Coast to the island of Madagascar off the east coast.
But ever since the medicinal properties of the tree came to light, it saw
rampant and ruthless cutting. Unfortunately, with time, the tree species has
become endangered. However, aggressive efforts are now on to save and protect
the tree and also plant new ones. Saplings are being nurtured from seedlings
that are collected from forests. Here’s a lesson for all of us then: respect what we have and learn to have a symbiotic relationship with what is good for us.
Like they say – would you pinch the hand
that feeds you?
SGI
plants trees to combat hunger, poverty and climate change.
