Page 32 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 11

WHOLENESS

that anybody can look at that tree,
let’s say it’s Arorwet or Tendwet and
know; this is medicine. You know
like if 100 years from today people
will still have a record of what it
was we were doing, they can see it
online and they’ll be like, wow, these
people were doing XYZ, it’s knowl-
edge that’s not forgotten. It is part
of documenting and archiving our
knowledge.

because it comes from there. So husband? So I developed a men’s The more you interact with trees,
Webuye was brought and I experi- formula just off the back of my the more the trees communicate
enced like 25 percent less pain, and head, thinking about what typically with you and you soon begin to
that was my introduction to tradi- would go into a men’s formula with know which is for which, and I
tional herbal medicine. Fast track the focus on the prostate, because continue to develop more and more
I was given medicine from Keiyo, just the same way women are suffer- products.
Marakwet; there’s medicine you take ing from reproductive health issues,
and then you vomit for days. The men are suffering as well. And even That’s amazing. What is Aror-
whole idea is that it’s supposed to whether it’s low sperm count or wet and Arorwet?
clean out your tummy, get all the erectile dysfunction or poor libido,
toxins out, that’s what supposed to those are the same markers women So Arorwet is ‘Cape Ash', that’s the
be causing the cramping, making have: poor egg quality, or they don’t English name, Tendwet 'Prunus Af-
you uncomfortable, the bloating, the produce eggs at the right time, when ricana' and Prunus Africana is well
gas, the excess water retention. they have this problem they are not known for the treatment of prostate
interested in sex at all, that’s when cancer, for men over 50 in Europe.
Then later on during my father’s they call it ‘I have a headache’. And There was a time 20-30 years ago,
funeral, I got introduced to our own you find women are doing so many people were harvesting forests of
Kipsigis herbs. And there’s a lady things to manage their pain, they’re Prunus Africana and exporting
who brought them to me because taking lots of painkillers, or they them.
I was really suffering. It was pretty could be drinking alcohol. You find
obvious something uncomfort- that, the week before that’s when What I found very interesting is
able was happening. So when she they start drinking lots of wine, nobody ever thinks of the African
brought them I experienced, for the trying to manage their mood and market. People come to the forest
first time, a painless period, like the their pain. and discover an amazing thing, and
first time in my life and that was a the first thing they want to do is
long time. When this happened, I Somebody else encouraged me to sell it to a French pharmaceutical,
rushed back to get some and gave go to the University of Nairobi or next thing it’s being retailed in
them to a friend. And my friend, pharmacology department, to have New Zealand. So how come nobody
who was on her way to a hysterec- my mixture tested and looked at, get ever thinks of us? When I lived in
tomy, now she experienced her first the scientific names, analyze what’s London, none of those doctors ever
painless period. in them and why they behave the thought of me as a black African
way they do. I did just that and got woman, to figure out what were my
She shared this information with a my certification, after which I was needs. I discovered that fibroids
Whatsapp group, and that is how allowed to advertise on social media. are a predominantly black woman
my business was born. People were illness and prostate cancer is a black
like: give it to me, my cousin, my The more you interact with your man’s disease.
sister, my aunty, and the same group own herbs from your own culture, It’s not very high up on the mark-
encouraged me to develop a men’s the more you discover other things. er for what they are trying to find
product, because they were like; well So I decided to use the Kipsigis the treatment for abroad, because
I’m feeling good, but what about my names to immortalize the culture, so it doesn’t affect their population
predominantly. So you walk around

32 | Heal . Restore . Rebirth . Afrika