ANAMED Seminar

The last two days we have been enjoying some very interesting guests. Katrin (German) and Monika (Austrian) are missionary nurses who work in a bush location teaching a team of people how to use local plants to treat illnesses, wounds, and skin problems. They use papaya, Neem, Moringa, Onion, Hot Peppers, and many other plants. Most of these are indigenous plants, though some have been brought in. They also use a particular plant, Artemesia, to prevent and treat Malaria, and we have been using this in our home for a couple of years as our malaria preventative.

ANAMED, Action for Natural Medicine, is an organization that has developed materials which teach how to use all of these plants in Africa to do all these things as well as how to make soap and other basic items.

Kevin asked our friends to come and give a seminar for his students, since he likes to give them a variety of tools to improve their lives and understand the world around them better. Almost all of them came, and I could see, watching them, that they were very interested in the material. Did you know that onion has antibiotic properties? That papaya is good to treat diarrhea? That hot pepper cream can be used for arthritis? The two men that Katrin and Monika brought with them were the ones who actually led the seminar, which was especially valuable, because they were able to communicate in a manner more understandable to the students, and because the students could see that WE can do it. Often, if a foreigner does something, people think "Well, that is well and good for YOU, but WE can't do that." They could see that these pleasant gentlemen were well versed in herbal and plant treatments, and could prepare all of the tinctures, creams and syrups themselves. At the end of the two-day seminar, people crowded around the table to buy the creams and crushed leaves, which sell for from 75 cents a packet to twelve cents a packet. Very cheap. More importantly, they left with knowledge to help themselves in treating basic illnesses.

We hope that the information presented will be passed on to others, and most of all that the students will begin to understand that they can help themselves rather than depending on the system here to take care of them (which it tries to do, but often fails at). God has provided so many wonderful things for us to use to help ourselves - it is truly astonishing! Good job, Kevin, in bringing this information to your students. And thank you Katrin and Monika for driving five hours in from the bush, dragging all your materials. And also to Vasco and Vincente for your hard work and great job you did in teaching. - C