In DRC’s Kivu region, the moringa tree offers valuable health benefits

Moringa, most often associated with its native region of India, is also a valuable plant found thousands of miles away in the Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Locally, it plays a crucial role in the production of medicines in traditional, traditional-modern (a combination of old and new) and modern medicine. According to several local healers and patients, thanks to its therapeutic properties, moringa can be used to treat a variety of illnesses such as diabetes, muscle pain, sexual weakness and many others.

“Apart from its medicinal properties, moringa has numerous benefits; it is a naturally fertilizing tree,” Jackeline Muderwa, a 69-year-old woman and healer from the Mugunga neighborhood in Goma, explained in an interview with Mongabay. She associates it with the Belgian colonial period around the mid-20th century. “The Belgians planted it in their gardens and used it to heal their certain diseases. I believe that is when we became aware of its usefulness. Most of the time, even in the bush, its presence testified to the ancestral presence of a person in that place who may have since moved away.”

Moringa oleifera a fast-growing deciduous tree of the Moringaceae family. Although it is globally classified as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List, this tree requires special attention. It is primarily cultivated in semiarid, tropical and subtropical areas.

Common names include moringa, drumstick tree, horseradish tree and ben oil tree or benzoil tree. The species was first described in 1785 by the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. In Swahili, the tree has kept its original name. But different tribes use different names for the same species, depending on their languages and the tree’s role in local rites and traditions.

All parts of moringa, including the roots, trunk and leaves, are used for their medicinal properties. This plant contributes significantly to the healing and preservation of lives. In the DRC, many healers of traditional and traditional-modern medicine have been using it to treat various ailments for generations. Years ago, the plant came from the forests of Beni, in the vicinity of Kahuzi-Biega and Virunga national parks, as well as Uvira in South Kivu. But for several years now, this tree has become increasingly rare in areas near Goma amid war and uncontrolled tree felling. Due to insecurity in Beni, the plant now (legally) is sourced from Uvira and Tanzania. In addition, some healers are planting moringa in their home gardens.

There are many testimonials from patients who have benefited from the advantages of moringa in the region. Mugisho Jacques, a resident of Birava in South Kivu, shared that he regained normal sexual function after a month of treatment using moringa roots, administered by a traditional healer in South Kivu: “In our Mashi community, we call this tree Umuringa. I couldn’t afford to go to a modern hospital. I suffered from sexual weakness for two years. At first, I thought their [traditional healers’] practices were mystical, like fetishes. But the doctor simply gave me moringa roots. My wife pounded them, spread them out in the sun for two days, then added them to my unsweetened tea with a little honey. I drank this solution for about a month. And already, I’m starting to regain normal sexual activity. Thanks to this treatment, my life has changed,” he told to Mongabay during a call.

In Masisi, Elise Muombo, from the Hunde ethnic group, also shared her experience via a voice message to Mongabay: “I suffered from constipation and abdominal pain for years, having found no effective solution in local modern medicine. Unable to afford to travel for treatment, I decided to try moringa. I boiled the leaves and added a bit of honey to soften its bitterness. Within just a week, my digestion improved. I take it like tea, and sometimes I also add it to my meals as a condiment.”

Jeannette Bora, a 60-year-old resident of Goma, asserted that moringa has alleviated her nerve pain: “I have suffered from nerve pain for a long time, which made it difficult for me to move. However, since I started consuming moringa leaves in the form of tea, I can walk without difficulty, and my quality of life has improved,” she testified during an in-person interview with Mongabay.

In Kivu, moringa is a discreet yet powerful tree. Healer Henry Tazama, who has been practicing his profession for 19 years at the Amour clinic in Goma, has long observed his parents and grandparents using it in traditional medicine practices. For him, it is a legacy.

“Moringa is at the heart of my treatments. For diabetes, prostate issues or infections, it is very effective, especially if the disease is at an early stage. I recommend the leaves for digestive problems, the roots for muscle pain and sexual problems and sometimes the trunk, depending on the case,” he explained in an interview with Mongabay. According to him, the leaves are boiled, filtered and then consumed like tea. The roots are dried in the sun and added to infusions. “The results are often visible within 2-4 weeks,” he added.

Tazama embodies the fusion of traditional and modern medicine practices. After gaining experience from his parents in Kalehe, South Kivu, he chose to deepen his training in Kigali, Rwanda, with Indian experts and specialists. He said he believes that in a context where some plants, like moringa, are becoming more rare, traditional medicine alone is not sufficient; it has shortcomings in terms of preservation within solutions (medicines) and sometimes in the dosages to provide to patients.

Around Goma, he said, “Uncontrolled logging and a lack of awareness threaten [moringa’s] survival. The volcanic soil of Goma, which is not well-suited for its cultivation, complicates its propagation. Moringa grows better in sandy soils, like those in Uvira or certain regions of Tanzania. It is essential to preserve it, cultivate it at home and not to view it as just an ordinary tree.”

For many, moringa is much more than a remedy; it is a local, natural and sustainable solution to health challenges. In a context where access to health care remains limited for a portion of the population, its cultivation represents a valuable alternative. “Even if you have grown up seeing this tree without knowing its benefits, be aware that it can heal the skin and produce oil with therapeutic properties. All its parts are useful. I believe it is time to protect and promote it,” Tazama said.

In summary, moringa is, by nature, a tree whose leaves, seeds, roots, bark and trunk all possess medicinal properties. Used for generations in traditional medicine, it is now recognized in modern approaches for its therapeutic versatility.

Banner image: A flower of the Moringa oleifera tree, which is valued for its medicinal properties. Image by Muhammad Mahdi Karim via Wikimedia Commons (GNU Free Documentation License).

Citations:

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