East Africa HWB: Latest News
One of the very active chapters of HWB is East Africa, coordinated by Jeanne Hughes. She and her network not only work to train herbalists and deliver significant amounts of much needed herbal medicines to local communities, but they also work to provide critical human sanitation items, water, and more in the midst of political strife and escalating tensions. These conflicts and political instability make daily life a challenge, yet they continue, even at great risk.
Jeanne first started training local herbalists in the Rift Valley near Eldoret in 2005. By 2007 the post-election violence had deeply divided the country. In 2008 Jeanne and her network hosted workshops in 3 regions to about 300 people, and in 2009 a private donor provided funds to support a 3-day workshop for 30 herbalists to attend.
During that workshop tribal tensions were running high, so Jeanne and her group had each group share one favorite remedy and success story, to break the ice and highlight the common goals and interests!
Today, after years of working and growing the network in Kenya, all of theses groups in various regions form a network of herbalists, community healers, and citizens who grow, harvest, share, and barter botanicals and information to improve the health of their communities.
Kenya is a large country and has several groups who work in their local regions. The number of families they serve, medicines they distribute, kits they create and wells they have rehabilitated are truly inspiring.
Spark A Life Kenya:
Spark A Life Kenya is an affiliate group that Jeanne has worked with in schools to improve sanitation. 114 Days for Girls kits have been created and distributed to Primary and Secondary schools in Munjiti, Emulade, Mulufu, Eshibongu, Kwisero, Mundah and Mulwanda Villages. Richie Otiende is the Spark A Life Kenya Director, based in Kisumu.
Donations to HWB and also the East Africa HWB help them mobilize to make medicines, get water and supplies to communities, prevent more victims of human trafficking, and educate about FGM. Your support of HWB directly helps HWB chapters such as HWB East Africa - every dollar makes a difference.
Africa is 1/5 of the world's land mass and has 54 countries - it is a vast continent full of traditional healers, great beauty, plant knowledge, and medicinal botanicals. Yet, it is also a land of great humanitarian need with human trafficking, female genital mutilation, drought, and strife.
Chep'ngasuretin Herbal Group:
Uasin Ngishu County, Rift Valley, near Eldoret. From the Chairman Dr. David Muigei. Almost half of those persons now have clean water through the efforts of this group.
40
Trained herbalists in this growing group that serves 10 villages with a total population of 2,500 persons.
20
Days for Girls hygiene kits were sewn and distributed in 2016.
80
Liters of liquid and many Kg of powdered herbal medicines were given to persons in these communities.
Shwari Group:
Submitted by Moses Makacha, Chairman.
15
Villages Served by Shwari Group
134
Days for Girls Kits (Sanitary Hygiene) were sewn and distributed in the Butere/Sabitia area of Kakamega County in Western Province.
170
Families have clean water in 2016 thru the rehabilitation of 5 wells.
Nyamira County:
500
kg of various powdered herbal medicine in Nyamira County by volunteers with Dr. Nehemiah Ndubi Okerio
3000
Litres of liquid soap were created by Nyamira County associated with Dr. Nehemiah Ndubi Okerio, and distributed to slum dwellers and the poor and needy to help control Cholera.
30,000
Persons through the efforts of 2 affiliated clinics.
Ramah Herbal Group:
Likuayani area. Trained TEN Herbalists; Created and distributed 27 Days for Girls Kits; (plus 18 sent from USA), and distributed 13,500 litres of liquid and 1,500 kg powdered herbal medicines (Eucalyptus, charcoal, cypress, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, and other barks and leaves.
22
Communities served
53
Families served
450
Individuals near the Rift and Western Province border.