Page 14 - Barefoot guide

STORY

TRADITIONAL FOOD CAN BE THE BEST MEDICINE

Martha felt sad again. Had she bought food that would put her
aunt in more in danger from COVID-19? She saw the delicious
looking vegetables, but she had no money. Then she spotted
something on a table.
“Look! Dawadawa! My grandmother used to make these
from locust bean pods, that tree with yellow inside the pods.”

Sarah laughed, “I certainly know that tree. I used to help
my mother collect the pods, ferment the seeds, and make
dawadawa for soup. And a sweet drink from the yellow
powder. Let me buy some cakes for later.”

“My grandmother used to make such delicious foods,”
Martha said, “using wild greens and herbs for flavour. But are
these foods good medicine? Our teacher always told us that
these new vegetables are what we should eat. And the books
didn’t mention local foods.”
“Well, the old people were healthy. Very few got obesity and
diabetes eating traditional diets. Those illnesses increased with modern
foods made in factories, where processing often remove good nutrients, and they add lots of sugar and salt.”

Martha sighed again, remembering the food in her basket. “Well even if these foods are bad for my
aunt, she won’t change easily. She loves noodles and stock cubes.”
Sarah smiled. “My grandfather hates new foods. But luckily, he likes traditional foods though it’s hard to
get the right ingredients, and he complains that I can’t cook like his wife. But it makes him strong, even if
he is 74.”
“Why not buy something from the market, Martha?” Sarah added.
Martha looked embarrassed. “My food is fine,” she said, abruptly. “I can’t afford
these fresh and traditional foods. I haven’t been able to run my hair salon since
lockdown.”
Sarah felt bad. She’d been so excited about the market; she’d just talked
without thinking.
“I’m sorry. Martha. Take some of my tomatoes and spinach and give me
a haircut when lockdown is over. Add these to your aunt’s noodles. You
know, you can also grow your own vegetables. My cousin grows her
own food and her yard is smaller than yours.”
“But what about all the expensive fertiliser and chemicals you
need to grow food?” demanded Martha.
‘My cousin doesn’t use fertilisers and chemicals because they
make food unhealthy. Come visit her with me on Saturday –she
can show you how she does it.”
“OK, thanks, my sister. And thanks for the vegetables. I’ll look
forward to visiting your cousin.”

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