We have Neem POACHERS!

Call out the hounds.  Bring in the army.  Alert the U.N.  We have Neem poachers in Kibaale District.

Poachers in progress.  Not Uganda

In other environments, poachers have decimated animal populations or fields of poppies.  I confess I once copped a few ferns out of my neighbor's yard when I was much younger.  Actually, my favorite shovel is called a "poacher's spade."   However, we have just discovered women from a village near Kayanja where we have an acre of Neem trees growing to maturity, sneaking over in the early morning hours to strip off leaves for their own personal use.

We believed that the benefits of Neem were somewhat known in the area but we never expected people to realize that if they have an ailment, they know Neem is the remedy, and go trooping through the Buffalo Grass to find a plant. This is one of those good-news, bad-news stories.  I am elated that people know of the curative benefits of Neem.  But, as we plant more - and more than 2,000 of our 12,000 seedlings have been transplanted to date... we may experience more filching of the foliage.

This is not a development that requires fencing or dogs or police.  It is, in fact, a very wonderful development because our overall goal is to help people in the villages be healthier and resist disease.  The more Neem is put to work, the more enthusiastic will be the acceptance once we begin offering trees to villagers.

The project is on track.  We could use some funds to plant more seeds.  We continue to seek partners for our planned Neem Study.  Click HERE to contribute if you wish.

Welcome to the Neemiverse

The world of Neem stretches way beyond the Kibaale District of Uganda.  Nearly a dozen countries in Africa have active Neem development programs and the stories of the tree's miracles continue to flow in.

Neem Trees in Niger

I had breakfast this morning with Bishop Joseph from South Sudan where people are struggling mightily to build a new country almost from scratch.  There is land, he says, for people to raise crops and graze cattle but they are afraid they will be raided by soldiers from the north.  The forests have all been cut down for firewood and the soil is suffering.  "What about Neem?" I asked. He had never heard of the tree or its benefits.  However, by the end of the conversation, he was excited to consider growing neem forests to hold the soil, give people enterprise and also to produce things that could be sold at market.

"Trees are good indicators of personal production and the progress of a region," I said.  "People can see trees grow

Neem Seedlings in Uganda

from one month or one year to the next and realize they too are growing.  Some people are reminded that they are growing old and had better hurry up if they are to provide for their families."  He agreed.

I'd like to add South Sudan to the Neemiverse even as we consider growing trees beyond our malaria study to include with the Green Belt Project and other anti-dessertification efforts.  There is huge need for this tree and the methodology behind its cultivation.  The people being trained up in Kibaale District will be great ambassadors, consultants and partners to take The Neem Initiative throughout Africa.

Wouldn't you like to be part of a project with so much upside potential?  You can, you know.  Donate today or send me an email to find out how you can be involved:  neemjournalist@gmail.com.

Neem Becomes Big Business in India

Following the Neem Foundation, we discover that Neem has become big business in India.  Go to their website and you'll find this interesting list of uses for Neem - which is extensive.  Neem is so powerful and popular in India, Monsanto Corporation, which runs several production facilities there tried to trademark the name Neem which would have put most of the home remedy businesses out of business.  Thankfully, that did not happen.

Large Neem trees ready for transplanting

For those of us working with Neem in Africa, it is instructive to follow the India Model:  stimulate local growth, maximize the collection of bark, leaves and seeds, and then market worldwide. Gather and publicize the stories of Neem at work.   Even with all the activity in India, the market for Neem has barely been touched.  Even if all of India and all of Africa were actively producing raw materials, demand would still remain very high.  Why?  Because the actual applications of Neem so far have just scratched the surface.  There is potential for every pharmaceutical and cosmetic manufacturer in the world to have a line of Neem-based or Neem-ingredient products.   A surprising side-benefit is that by planting trees, people also reap the benefits of greening the planet

In Uganda, The Neem Initiative is starting small, developing quality people and processes in order to scale up quickly in approximately two years.  We are hoping our methodology will be a model that can be replicated throughout Africa.  We invite you to step into the Neemiverse and watch with wonder or, better yet, become a Neemist and help promote our work.  Email me at neemjournalist@gmail.com with questions.

I Am a Witness - Natural Cures Work

Some people are skeptical that things directly from nature - oils, leaves, seeds - really do any good - or that they can be used on a large scale.  Yet that is what we are proposing for The Neem Initiative.

But I have to tell you, I had an experience in Uganda earlier this year that taught me a great lesson about natural remedies.  I had been in country for nearly two weeks when I developed a deep bronchial cough.  It was agonizing and painful - and loud - and disruptive.  I had taken every cold,

Dr. Obadiah and his magic cough elixir

cough and decongestant pill in my extensive self-medication inventory, but nothing worked.  Then, one day, while walking through a bit of jungle looking for chimpanzees, I notice my son Obadiah gathering things from trees and digging in the ground. 

About ten minutes after we returned to our guest house, he presented me with a Fanta bottle with some orange liquid in it.  "What is this?" I asked?  "It will cure your cough," he said. "Drink half now and half in the morning.  Drink it all."  I tasted it and made a face at the bitterness.  "I will add more honey," Ob said.  "How did you know how to make this?" I asked.  Ob, who has been to veterinary school said, "I am a large animal expert.  And you are a large animal."  Of course.  I drank half the goo.  It didn't taste too bad.  The best part was, about two hours later, the cough was gone and I was able to sleep through the night.  I drank the rest in the morning and the cough never returned.

 "Ob, what was in that magic elixir?" I asked.  He replied: "Orange leaf, lemon leaf, ginger root, honey and some other stuff."  I didn't ask about the prep area.

I was impressed with the home remedy.  But the thing that sealed it was later, in Kayanja Village, the men were showing me their agriculture experiments when we came upon a small tree.  "The bark from that tree cures prostate cancer," one fellow said.  "WHOA! I said.  Are you sure?"  Yes, he said, "They grow it abundantly near here.  The French grind the bark and make a product called Tadenan.  You can buy it on-line.
So... if Neem prevents and cures malaria and Tadenan prevents prostate cancer and Ob can keep me from coughing, I'm set for life.  What about you?