Moringa, most often associated with its native region of India, is also a valuable plant found thousands of miles away in the Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Locally, it plays a crucial role in the production of medicines in traditional, traditional-modern (a combination of old and new) and modern medicine. According to several local healers and patients, thanks to its therapeutic properties, moringa can be used to treat a variety of illnesses such as diabetes, muscle pain, sexual weakness and many others. “Apart from its medicinal properties, moringa has numerous benefits; it is a naturally fertilizing tree,” Jackeline Muderwa, a 69-year-old woman and healer from the Mugunga neighborhood in Goma, explained in an interview with Mongabay. She associates it with the Belgian colonial period around the mid-20th century. “The Belgians planted it in their gardens and used it to heal their certain diseases. I believe that is when we became aware of its usefulness. Most of the time, even in the bush, its presence testified to the ancestral presence of a person in that place who may have since moved away.” Moringa oleifera a fast-growing deciduous tree of the Moringaceae family. Although it is globally classified as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List, this tree requires special attention. It is primarily cultivated in semiarid, tropical and subtropical areas. (Left) Moringa oleifera, a tree species native to India but also used in DRC for medicinal purposes. (Right) Moringa seeds. All parts of the plant…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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