The Sacred Connection: How Traditional Healers Are Safeguarding Plants and Knowledge for Climate-Resilient Health

In this part of discussion, Dr. Lydia Matoke expands on best practices rooted in traditional wisdom, highlighting the nutritional and medicinal benefits of indigenous foods like sorghum and millet. She emphasizes their dual role in mitigating chronic diseases while simultaneously contributing to broader climate change mitigation efforts.

She stresses the critical importance of integrating the teaching of herbal medicine and traditional food knowledge into all learning institutions, to propagate this dynamic cultural heritage. She encourages involving youth through dedicated seminars to enlighten them about traditional medicine and career opportunities.

Dr. Matoke also addresses the current policy landscape, noting that existing regulations have standards that are prohibitively high for local practitioners, underscoring the need for policies to be "domesticated". She argues that traditional healers should be officially recognized by the Ministry of Health, rather than being classified merely as artists under the Ministry of Culture, despite acknowledging the latter's significant role in raising their visibility.

Dr. Matoke raises a concern about the future sourcing of traditional medicines, particularly for conditions like HIV and cancer, given potential shifts in international health funding, such as America's cessation of aid. This fuels her passionate call for the government to make substantial investments in the development and research of traditional knowledge and medicine, especially as older, experienced herbalists are passing away, taking invaluable knowledge with them.

Dr. Matoke shares her own successful work, primarily dealing with common ailments like stomach-related diseases (including H. pylori), offering cognitive health solutions for infertility, and addressing chronic conditions such as arthritis and cancer, contrasting this with modern medication's tendency to create dependency.

She also details practices that build resilience, such as drying various parts of plants for preservation to ensure year-round availability.

She urges the involvement of youth in accessing land for nurseries, creating both income and conservation opportunities.

The Vanishing Herbs: Dr. Lydia Matoke on Indigenous Healing and Climate Threats

In this compelling first episode, we delve into the world of Dr. Lydia Matoke, a highly respected traditional healer whose connection to herbal medicine stems from a rich family lineage of healers, including a grandfather who was a surgeon.

She shares her unique journey, blending indigenous knowledge passed down from her grandfather with modern education in medicine.

Dr. Matoke recounts the establishment of traditional medicine within the government's framework, her leadership role in national associations and her efforts to foster collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

Through her Hope Natural Health Care Centre, she passes on practical knowledge on herbal medicine to a new generation.

Dr. Matoke raises a critical concern on the waning availability of herbal plants and shrubs due to modern farming practices, deforestation, and the shifting seasons which are direct impacts of climate change. To counter this, she explains how she contracts farmers nationwide to grow specific herbs without fertilizers and how she involves youth in collecting avocado seeds for income.

She strongly encourages herbalists to cultivate their own gardens for conservation and domestication.

Dr. Lydia Matoke challenges the government to partner with traditional healers in identifying and planting indigenous herbal trees for re-afforestation efforts, thereby creating jobs, mitigating climate change and adapting to the climate crisis.

Unlocking Bamboo's Future: How Bamboo Cultivation is Paving the Way for Climate Adaptation and Economic Empowerment

In this episode, Laura Koech unravels the reasons behind the limited popularity of bamboo farming in Kenya. She attributes this to a potential disconnect from the indigenous knowledge that once surrounded bamboo, coupled with past depletion of the resource.

Laura also shares her personal experiences, noting the surprise people express at encountering a young, educated woman actively involved in farming.

She emphasizes the availability, though limited, of resources and funding opportunities for those interested in pursuing bamboo cultivation.

Despite the long-term nature of bamboo farming and the challenges of land access, particularly for youth and women, Laura highlights its significant economic potential, surpassing that of traditional tree farming, especially when cultivated on community land.

Laura informs us about the possibility of cultivating bamboo without the use of chemicals.

She advocates for planting bamboo in public spaces like schools, hospitals, and town centres, recognizing its value as a shade provider and its suitability for growth and profitability in equatorial regions.

Laura also shares unique insights into permaculture farming techniques.