moringa moringa

Ever since arriving in Malawi I have heard about this tree called Moringa, which in Chichewa is referred to as “chambwamba”. Many people call it a “miracle tree” because of the many benefits of it. Since nutrition, working with people living with HIV/AIDS, and tree nurseries all have been a big focus of the projects I am doing so far, it only seems natural that I include moringa in what I am doing. So, here is a brief description of moringa and the many benefits of it…

Origin:
It comes from Asia and has been around for centuries, although it is fairly new to the United States. Although there are many species , the tree I am referring to is Moringa oleifera


Different parts of the tree and its uses:
Leaves- contains a variety of important vitamins and nutrients
Seeds- can be used for purifying water, making soap, cooking oil
Roots- has some medicinal purposes
Branches- cuttings from the branches can be taken and planted and will grow into a new tree!


Other advantages of Moringa:
Easily intercropped with other food crops and trees
Fast growing, tolerant of droughts
Very good agroforestry tree (can be used as a live fence, it fixes nitrogen into the soil)
Potential income generating activity from leaf powder, oils
Wood can be used for firewood
Leaves can be used for animal feed


Nutrition of 50grams of leaf powder:
7 times the vitamin C of oranges
4 times the calcium of milk
3 times the vitamin A of carrots
2 times the protein of milk
3 times the potassium of bananas

The potential for using Moringa in projects is practically limitless and I hope that as these trees mature and more people are aware of this amazing tree I will be able to do more projects with it. But for now these are the ways that I am currently working with moringa…

1. Tree Nurseries- I am working with a variety of individuals, groups, and one primary school right now on planting several tree types, one being moringa. Most of the tree types will be used for reafforestation, however I am incorporating nutrition and food security as we are also raising moringa and fruit tree seedlings. What each group does is plant several seeds into a small plastic tube and after much care, watering, weeding, etc, the groups will plant the "seedlings" into a designated area (ie- woodlots and homes) after about 10-12 weeks. Most of the groups are raising between 2 to 6 thousand seedlings.

(The community members of Kamera where we are trying to get an under five health clinic built, they are raising seedlings to replace the many trees that were cut down in order to burn the bricks needed to build the clinic)

(Nkumbi Community Based Organization- a group of volunteers that work with orphans, people living with HIV/AIDS, elderly, and the youth - they are raising moringa, papaya, and several agro-forestry trees)

2. People living with HIV/AIDS- since nutrition is a critical part of staying healthy for those who have HIV/AIDS, I am working with an HIV/AIDS Support Group in encouraging traditional/natural medicine.


If you are interested in learning more about moringa and how it is changing people's lives in developing countries here is a couple helpful links...

1. http://www.janeemo.org/ - I HIGHLY recommend clicking here to learn more about this innovative NGO operating in Malawi. They use moringa and two other useful trees (jatropha and neem) to encourage people living in rural activities to use moringa as a natural medicine and income generating activities as well as some other really cool projects. Please check them out!

2. http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa - another cool NGO that does work all over the world