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In some respects Ghana is a very progressive country. In other respects the people of Ghana are cutting the branches on which they are sitting. I spent three weeks in this country of warm hearted people – I thank them for their welcome, their enthusiasm and their companionship. Baobab Children Foundation Over the last four years, Edith de Vos and her team have established something very special at Kissi near Cape Coast. They provide The pictures shows a group identifying medicinal plants from the anamed poster. Kumasi Kumasi is the centre of the Ghanaian artemisia cultivation – in our day seminar we welcomed three successful growers, as well as local farmers and representatives from the famous Kumasi University. Tamale – Catholic Archdiocese Development Office The Catholic Church in Ghana makes a massive contribution not only to the spiritual life of thousands of people but also to important aspects of social development. Thus our five day seminar held at the Catholic Guest House was organised by Catholic Development Workers and attended by both Christians and Moslems, farmers, herbalists, nurses, project leaders and a Nigerian scientist. Everything was translated into the local language, Dagbani. How is Ghana progressive? Why? Because, supported and encouraged by the Ministry of Health, there is in Mampong Akwapim a Centre for Research into Plant Medicine. At the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi there is a Department of Herbal Medicine, which has already prepared its first graduates to work in hospitals alongside conventionally trained doctors. Their training has included not only herbal medicine but a major part of the curriculum followed by students of medicine. In addition, one can already buy malaria treatments that are based on a locally growing anti-malarial plant, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, which were developed at the Centre for Research into Plant Medicine. Although not yet widely available, these medicines will go a long way to help Ghana to be much more self-sufficient in its treatment of serious diseases. In what ways are Ghanaians cutting the branches on which they are sitting? Because they are rapidly destroying their own diverse environment, which is in fact the source of vast wealth. Forests are disappearing, because wood is being burnt to produce charcoal, and because fires are made to hunt for small animals for food. Thus soil fertility, biodiversity and medicinal and food plants are all being destroyed. The ubiquitous black plastic bags, and also the plastic bags containing drinking water, are thrown away at will, creating unsightly litter, blocking drains and saturating agricultural land. anamed in Ghana It is my sincere prayer that those wonderful people who attended my seminars will take the message of holistic health further, and train their communities, friends and colleagues in waste disposal, tree planting, good nutrition, the preparation of medicinal gardens and the production and use of Natural Medicines from the plants that they cultivate themselves. We will see how the network of people from across Ghana develops. It would be a very great help to the development of anamed in Ghana if anamed books and posters were to be printed locally. For this we require a starter sum of about 2400 pounds or 3000 Euros. Thereafter books taken would always be paid for, at least at cost price, so that books could be reprinted without the need for further funding. I look forward to running seminars in Ghana again, possibly in 2010. I recommend that these should be for the purpose of ”Training the trainers“ so that the practice of Natural Medicine spreads rapidly throughout this beautiful but very needy country. Acknowledgement I thank very sincerely all those very many people who contributed to making my visit both enjoyable and successful, Edith and her team at Kissi, John Owusu-Ayirebi in Kumasi, Mark Attabeh and his team in Tamale, Jutta Krauss who accompanied for the first half of my trip, and every one of the 90 or so participants of the three seminars. In addition George Zokli, a Moringa expert, Osafo-Mensah Steven at the Centre for Research into Plant Medicine, Dr Fleischer at the Department of Herbal Medicine at Kumasi, Lowell Fuglie in Kintampo, Father Timothy who hosted me for two days in Kpandai and Dr Dabra Togbeda of PROMETRA in Accra. Keith Lindsey, anamed international, Berglenstr. 10, 71364 Winnenden, Germany Email: anamed@t-online.de Web: www.anamed.net
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schooling and training for many young people in a very creative atmosphere. I was invited there, to run a 6 day seminar for people drawn from many parts of the country. Following an amazing opening ceremony, attended by local chiefs, entertained by drumming, dancing and sketches, addressed by local officers, including the Ministry of Health and extensively covered by the media, we enjoyed wonderful Ghanaian hospitality. The well-laid out medicinal garden, the tall neem tree, the excellent solar drier and delicious local food, not to mention the expertise and willingness to share of the participants, all contributed to a very special week.