Page 74 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 2

Dr Githae
ISSUE TWO | SEPT/OCT

HOLISTIC MEDICINE PRACTITIONER 2

The result is that most of the germs of criticism from Western medicine bridge between pre-colonial
have gotten used to the low doses on how traditional healers make thought, and understanding
of the antibiotic, so that when you ‘wild claims’ - that’s the word the colonial process and post-
get sick even massive doses just they use… ‘wild claims’ - that we colonial thought. There exists
suppress it, then it flares up again. can cure anything. They are not a bridge, but what happened
Because of the holistic approach wild claims. Because once you in the transfer of knowledge
of herbal therapy, not a single have a formulation that has that between pre and post? The
microorganism has developed conglomeration of compounds that people who you speak of
resistance to herbal medicine, can kill a whole range of germs who are supposedly the most
world over, none. This is because, like Prunus, Mwarubaine (Neem), learned in their fields then
even the Prunus that cures many others and once you have a became the obstacles in being
prostate, also addresses allergies, number of plants put together with able to transfer and bridge the
it’s also one of the components that range of vitamins, minerals knowledge... why is that?
that help in cancer, it’s one of essential oils with stimulation, it Dr. Githae: Because they are mis-
those medicines that helps a lot cures. Many swear by the Bible educated. We have mis-education,
in abdominal conditions. There that they won’t touch herbal monitored and articulated by
are thousands of compounds in it. medicine because it’s witchcraft, external forces for a purpose.
That’s why, in a cocktail therapy yet even as they swear they have When I got into herbal medicine,
set up, doctors are using cocktail a cup of tea before them. Tea is I was disowned by everybody,
combinations of many antibiotics. herbal medicine. including my own family, even
Ours is natural and more than my wife, for nearly 10 years. I
‘cocktail’ as we use a number of Msingi Afrika: Genesis 1 talks was called names, my children,
plants together, normally up to 10 about the plants and the herbs everybody. They came back to me
plants, to enhance the capacity that God gave us. when I started appearing in the
of the formulation to challenge Dr. Githae: Do they read it? papers, on TV, I was called to Moi
the microorganism -be they Because it’s them who have fought University, Nairobi University to
virus, fungus, bacteria or internal tradition more than anybody else give a paper, Bremen University in
parasites. Also to broaden the and culture more than anybody Germany. We have to decolonize
nutritional capacity, nutritional else. I was a member of the ourselves! Decolonization, like
complementarity - the more Ecumenical Pharmaceutical development, is an educational
plants you put together the more Advisory Network for East Afrika. I process; it is educational in that
vitamins, the more minerals, the have been a member for a number you must know where you are,
more essential oils - and the same of years. We help Church-based where you want to go and how to
with stimulation and all that. medical institutions get whatever go there. There must be a policy
But, for how long can we claim kind of drug they want. And when framework on that and there must
to have it, when we don’t know it comes to alternative medicine, I be expertise to repackage the
how much of the resource is help. At one point I asked them if I educational material we are using
remaining, both the material and can do them a paper on reference to reflect the reality because a lot
the knowledge? I say that with of herbal medicine in the Bible. of it has neocolonial connotations.
confidence because nobody now, The Bible is probably one of the I have been in this line now for
even the Cabinet Secretary for best historical texts in promoting 50 years. I am changing, for the
Natural Resources can tell you herbal medicine. We brought a remaining years I want to go
how much herbal medicine we number of papers, but ignorance more into preventive medicine
have in Kenya. Nobody. Where do again took effect and like people rather than curative. The curative
we have the highest concentration have said, we haven’t decolonized approach is primitive. You wait until
of those that cure Malaria? our minds. people are sick and they come to
Where do we have the highest you. Preventive helps people keep
concentration of the ones that MA: For us at Msingi Afrika away the diseases, live longer.
have potentiality of dealing with Magazine, your generation Our people managed to survive
incurable TB? There has been a lot represents what would be the without hospitals, just like animals

74 HEALING - RESTORING - REBIRTHING - AFRICA