Traditional healers and alternative medical practitioners in Njombe region have thanked Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) through its researchers for building their capacity to increase the value of their medicines, increase productivity as well as increase their income and promise to do their job scientifically so that they can export these drugs abroad.
Group of traditional healers and alternative medical practitioners who participated in the training posing with happy faces after making soap each one with their own hands whereby everyone used his/her favorite medicinal plant
Speaking at the end of a two-day training workshop organized by Sokoine University of Agriculture through Green Resources Innovations for Livelihood Improvement (GRILI) project in collaboration with the Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) in Njombe region, traditional healers and alternative medical practitioners said this education was very important for them as it has gotten them out of the practice of selling medicines in the form of roots, bark and leaves only but now they are going to package them professionally in order to facilitate transportation and proper use to their consumers.
Participants in the training were practically learned how to make soap from the medical trees that everyone came up with as a way to add value to their medication
Speaking on behalf of his fellow participants, Rosta Ndunguru said the use of traditional medicines have been very helpful especially in the fight against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) thus restoring community confidence in the use of natural remedies and alternative therapies and that the training helped to increase their understanding of the methods used for drug delivery and the use of such drugs.
“Recently we have witnessed our president, Dr. John Pombe Magufuli leading Tanzanians in the use of medicinal plants in the fight against coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and that has aroused great faith in the use of our medicinal plants and with this success it has shown the community that these drugs are very helpful so now we are going to add value and pack them professionally instead of selling roots, barks and leaves but now we can pack them well for easy shipping” said Mr Ndunguru.
For his part, Mr. Flavian Nyakeji said the time has come for traditional healers and alternative medical practitioners to abandon the difficult hereditary conditions they provide to their patients as they make many people see scams so they can continue to work with Sokoine University of Agriculture researchers to improve treatment.
Mr Flavian Nyakeji talking to his fellow traditional healers and alternative medical practitioners during a visit to see how he established his medicinal plant farm and thus reduce the challenge of access of such plants
For his part, the GRILI project leader and researcher from SUA, Dr. Faith Mabiki said if these traditional doctors start using the techniques they taught them in providing services and treating people then the community will trust them and thus do the business well especially considering that now the government has recognized and encouraged the use of medicinal plants in the country.
The GRILI project leader, Dr. Faith Mabiki emphasizing the matter to the participants during the closing of the two-day training workshop for traditional healers and alternative therapists in Njombe region
She added that the training also helped to contribute to the government’s efforts to oppose and encourage traditional healers not to engage in divination that cause strife and various killings whose sources are often directed to them and thus make traditional medicine widely used and combed with similar drugs from other countries while the same drugs. but improved.
Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) Njombe regional manager, Mr. Izidory Kihenze speaking at the closing of the training held at the SIDO regional Hall in Njombe
Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) manager for Njombe region, Mr. Izidory Kihenze promised to cooperate with the traditional healers and alternative medical practitioners in various stages from manufacturing in large quantity, adding value to their products by packaging well and ensuring quality in order to facilitate easy transportation of those drugs to various regions of Tanzania and outside country.
One of the participant of the training, Dr. Magoloni, a traditional healer receiving a certificate of participation from the Head of the GRILI project, Dr. Faith Mabiki immediately after graduating from the training
