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Above: Women from Jamey, San Cristóbal chop orange and eucaliptus leaves in preparation for making a syrup for the flu.
Justicia Global's medicinal plants workshops in the San Cristóbal province are getting rave reviews from the participants.
One man related how he was able to help a neighbor who was suffering from pains in his leg: "I rubbed the medicine we made on his leg, and after a little bit he asked, 'What did you put on there? That was like a gift from God!'”
A woman commented: "My daughter had a bad cold. She took a lot of pills, but what really cured her was the syrup we learned how to make here."
Another man captured the main objective of the workshops, that is, organizing the community. He said, "Every day more people will hear about what we're doing. I understand that this is going to be big."
Justicia Global facilitataes natural medicine workshops in various communities throughout San Cristóbal. The goal is reclaiming popular knowledge about health to empower communities to remedy their health issues with plants and fruits they can find near their homes.
We have made syrup and menthol for colds and flu, a cream for rheumatism and soap that cures skin problems. We also learn about the healing powers of many common plants.
One woman wondered: "What is the difference between this and an operativo médico?" [These "medical operations" involve doctors from the city, usually politically affiliated, who go to the mountains in campaign season to pass out free pills.] With the operativo médico, as soon as the pills run out, it's over. We never gain the knowledge of how to make the medicine ourselves."
The idea is to form a "health team" in each community, made up of people from that area who can teach these natural medicine techniques to others.
One participant shared his intention to share Justicia Global's vision and to pass on his new knowledge to others. "The idea is that one day we may be able to live a little better than we are today. Let's learn the good things and throw out the bad. I don't want to keep to myself what I saw and learned today. I want to teach it to other people."
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