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The pastoral communities discovered the appropriate application of natural medicinal gift in good supply around the year for centuries. In January 2011, Keydemedia has launched a brief survey on learning about the extent of herbal and medicinal trees grown in Somalia.
It was a month of field study carried on at the Central Regions of Somalia, familiarizing with certain herbs and plants and meeting with local elders, the first hand pastoral doctors and patients. It is needless to say that we found stunning facts about the wealth of herbal and medicinal plants in Somalia.
This added up economic muscle gives the country a new dimension of natural resources found all over Somalia. This report also gives the young generation the opportunity to reflect and develop the natural wealth of their country. There are oil underground and medicinal plants and herbs on the ground; and then there are wind and solar energy over the plants, which are other potential wealth resources waiting to be topped.
Keydmedia has done only a surface scratch about the topic medicinal plants and herbs, but we need extensive field survey and in-depth scientific research carried out by reputable scientists and lab works.
The pastoral society of Somali maintains that one out of ten plants/herbs grown in the countryside-with the exception of a few wildly grown plants in the neighborhood of urban centers- contain potentially therapeutic medicine for curing sick people and domestic animals. Hunters extract lethal sap and tar from certain plants and trees for defensive purposes and for disabling wild game for food.
Taking note of Keydmedia report, we have learned the range and the habitat of these medicinal plants and herbs that are unevenly distributed throughout the country. Most of them share a wide spectrum of overlapping medicinal use that includes: Therapeutic medicines, including first aid application and curing infections, and general prescriptions for the people and their livestock.
We have a limited knowledge of summarizing details of 40 out of 360 known medicinal plants/herbs grown in the country used for multiple applications for curing arrays of ailments and emergency interventions, such as: Stopping bleeding and prevention of infections, treating high blood pressure and controlling diabetics.
Other plants teats asthma discomfort and cure Small Box and gingivitis. Some plants relieve persistent constipation, while others restore eye vision by eating away obstructing white tissues and clearing the eye infection. Other common plants are used as generic pain relievers and supply intoxicant compounds for eliminating stomach worms in people and animals.
The sap of certain plant cures sexual dysfunction, sterility and enhancing fecundity in people and animals. Certain trees offer healthy tooth brushes that prevent tooth decay and bad breath. As potential hair conditioners, women harvest the leaves of certain plants, crush them and use twice a year.
The root of certain plant is crushed and used as detergent for washing clothes during shortage of water in the household. Think about the root of a therapeutic herb used as suppository medicine for curing hemorrhoids, while the tar of another tree is mixed with water for suppressing sexual desires consumed by religious disciples.
And the description goes on and on. See the therapeutic application & brief description of respective plant/herb summarized on the following pages)
1. Somagale:
What it is used for?
Somagale is a small, seasonal plant that sprouts from the ground during the rainy season. Roots are uprooted by hand, crushed into cake and applied on bleeding wounds as emergency intervention and prevention of infections. Instantly, it stops bleeding, even if the blood is gushing from a main vein or artery. For local application, Somagale is a very important medical household plant available in the nature, but the world community does not know what it stands for.
On pharmaceutical purposes, however, Somagale can be farmed by relaying on cheap labor without the need of farm machinery from A-Z; nor it require site clearing, weeding, fertilizers, herbicides, or even harvesting machines. The seeds are planted among other plants on the same terrain, and then harvested after three months by uprooting the herb by hand. Livestock do not browse on Somagale leaves and it has no other known enemies
2. Awrodhaye:
What it is used for?
Pastoral people use Awrodhaye as first aid medication, and like Somagale, it stops bleeding and prevents/cures infections.
Farming Awrodhaye:
Like Somagale, Awrodhaye seeds are planted days prior the rainy season in rows or in random among the bushes without causing soil erosion. Planting Awrodhaye does not require farm machinery and relays on cheap, pastoral hands from planting to harvesting by hand. Awrodhaye herb has no known natural hazard.
3. Jeerin, Gumar- pronounced (jea’rin & gu’mar) respectively
What it is used for?
For centuries, the pastoral society of Somali had used parts of these plants as multiple therapeutic medicines. The roots, leaves, pods and nuts are crushed and cured for high blood pressure, gingivitis, elimination of stomach worms in people, especially in children, and in livestock. The bark is used as sanitary bandages applied on bleeding wounds and preventing infections
These medicinal plants belong to acacia family trees commonly grown in Somalia, and have similar features and therapeutic application. These trees are hardwood plants that grow on sandy/semi-desert terrains and survive on scanty rainfall.
Keydmedia.net
Prof. Mohamoud Iman Adan - Keydmedia.net Chief Editor - Virginia, USA - Mohamoud.iman.adan@keydmedia.net
I read your article on Foreign Policy with keen eyes and interest. While whining from public officials does not deserve response from any sensible citizen of the Republic of Somalia, I felt compelled to counter false narrative with more objective analysis.
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