Medicinal Gardens

In conjunction with my visit to the Women's Center of Nyashana, the assistant coordinator, Johanna Sele, invited me to visit the medicinal gardens at the Igombe Center.  Igombe Center is located in a rural area of Mwanza overlooking picturesque Lake Victoria.  The center is supported by Jesuits, and it is coordinated and supervised by Sister Mechthild Keller.

In addition to the maintaining the gardens and producing medicinal remedies from varied plants, the center has a youth educational center and a small farm.  The center also acts as a retreat house, and it periodically provides seminars on medicinal uses of plants.

Sister Mechthild Keller sharing the different remedies that are produced on the property.

  Papaya

• Latex, the milklike juice from unripe papaya contains the most concentration of papain, some people say it can help remove freckles.
• The Papain’s protein in papaya makes it helpful against heartburn and indigestion. Mixed with a little honey and taken before meals, it may even prevent heartburn.
• Papain also help thin the blood and discourage clotting.
• The fruit’s proteolytic enzymes and other compounds, including a substance called carpaine, work against intestinal worms and other parasites.
• Experiments done on laboratory rats suggest that papaya seeds might reverse infertility.

Other Ailments where papaya is beneficial: Blood clots, indigestion, infertility, ringworm, worms, abscesses, arthritis, blood clots, bronchitis, burns, circulatory problems, constipation, depression, enlarged lymph glands, eye inflammation, flu freckles, gallbladder problems, gas, hardening of the arteries, heart disease, hematoma, hemorrhoids, hodgkin’s disease, infections, infertility, inflammation, neurasthenia, oral inflammation, pancreatic inflammation, parasitic infections, phlebitis, psoriasis, rectal disease, respiratory disease, sore throat, stomach disease, tissue swelling, tumors, ulcers, urethritis, uterine inflammation, vaginal disease, varicose veins, water retention, wounds, yeast infections.
Recommended Dosage of Papaya:

• 10 to 50 milligrams of papain
• 1 to 3 tsps of papaya juice
• 1 to 2 tsps of dried papaya leaves in a cup of hot water
• 1 to 2 tbsps. of fresh papaya, or ½ to 1 tsp of juice of papaya daily.
• In case of intestinal worms and other parasites, munch on a dozen or so papaya seeds.

Some plants are ornamental only - like the poinsettias pictured in the background. They bring added beauty to the garden.

Artemisia - introduce from China; its tea is known to be successful in combating malaria.

Aloe Vera for skin ailments

Goat's milk  enriched by the plants on the property.

Turkey, one of several fowl on the farm. Happy Thanksgiving!