Update: Two Trees in Two Weeks

Two trees that every Mali volunteer is familiar with, and most Americans probably are not, are shea and moringa. And since we have spent the last couple weeks teaching Malians about the many benefits of these two amazing trees, we thought that we should educate our wonderful readers as well.

Shea is native and exclusive to West Africa, but is most commonly found in Mali. Every rainy season, it produces a green pulpy fruit about the size of a large black cherry. The fruit itself does not taste very good, but it has been traditionally collected by women for its nut (the pit), which can be pressed into oil useful for household cooking. However, an emerging international market for shea oil (used for soaps, lotions, and medicines) has transformed this practice into a potential income-generating activity for rural women, IF they can adopt improved processing techniques.

For this reason, we (ourselves and two other volunteers) held a meeting in Duguba - where James works - open to all women interested in learning the new techniques. The main point: Don’t let the fruit rot in a hole before smoking them dry; a nut that is charred or already germinating produces a stinky and bitter oil. Instead, boil the nuts clean and then drying them in the sun. The result is purer oil that not only tastes and smells better, but also is also more sanitary. Twenty-two women came to our meeting – a great turnout for the farming season – and the information was also repeated on our weekly radio show.

The moringa tree, on the other hand, originates from India but is widely promoted in development for its tolerance for arid conditions and high nutritional value. A hundred grams of its leaves has more Vitamin C than 7 oranges, more Vitamin A than 4 carrots, more Potassium than 4 bananas, and more Calcium and Protein than 4 glasses of milk! Also, it’s seeds and pods are strong in fiber and can help with intestinal troubles, including bacterial infections and worms. Moreover, its deep taproot and little use of lateral roots means it can be planted in farmer’s fields without interfering with the topsoil needed for crops. And did I mention that it’s practically impossible to kill; a transplant that was ravaged by animals and withered to nothing just recently sprouted new shoots! We like to call moringa the “miracle tree.”

In order to encourage the planting and utilization of the moringa tree, for the past three weeks we have led lessons with a community group in Kongodugu (where Joye works). Before we shared the benefits of moringa, it was necessary to convince the group that malnutrition was a problem in their village and explain what proper nutrition looks like. So our first week we emphasized the importance of regularly consuming the three Malian food groups: energy foods (calories/carbs), construction foods (proteins/calcium), and protection foods (vitamins/minerals). This was completely new information for our villagers; mothers were shocked as we explained that their children’s bloated bellies were a “construction food” deficiency, NOT a sign that they were full and healthy. We continued the second week by charting availability of the three food groups on a yearly calendar in order to show which food groups were most lacking in the Malian diet (construction and protection), and illustrate how trees can provide a year-round food source. Finally, we introduced the moringa tree - both a construction and protection food – described its benefits, and demonstrated how to plant and cultivate it in our own demonstration garden. The class was excited to go home with a branch of fresh leaves and three seeds to plant themselves.

It seems so funny to us that just a year ago we had not heard of either the shea or moringa trees, and now they are essential to our work here in Mali. Hopefully, this post has given you a greater appreciation for these two obscure trees as well. As Malians say: “Tulo be taa kalanso don o don,” which can be most literally translated as “the ears go to school everyday.”

Thanks for reading!

-James (& Joye)