MORINGA

  During the summer and fall rainy season, if you listen close enough, you may be able to hear the Moringa trees growing in the WISH gardens. You notice their remarkable growth if you stop to look at them daily. There are two fields of trees being harvested regularly for the nutritious leaves to be made into a powder. This powder is now accepted as a food supplement in the Wesleyan hospital and clinic.

   Local knowledge about the benefit of moringa leaves is expanding. The leaf powder is about 27% protein and high in the amino acids that are often in short supply in the local diet. Dr. Frank Martin says, in Survival and Subsistence in the Tropics, that "among the leafy vegetables, one stands out as particularly good, the [Moringa] tree.  The leaves are outstanding as a source of vitamin A and when raw, vitamin C.  They are a good source of B vitamins and among the best plant sources of minerals.  The calcium content is very high for a plant. Phosphorous is low, as it should be. The content of iron is very good (it is reportedly prescribed for anemia in the Philippines ).  They are an excellent source of protein and a very low source of fat and carbohydrates.  Thus the leaves are one of the best plant foods that can be found."  The leaves are also reported to be a rich source of Lutien and Omega-3 oils. Studies are being done now in some countries with TB and AIDS patients to see if moringa strengthens the immune system based on its nutritional values. (Click here to go to the Church World Service website that provides detailed information on the nutritional value of moringa.)

   The moringa trees are grown in rows like a corn field and cut back to about knee height every few weeks.  They grow well in the local salty, gravelly soil and are rarely damaged by insects or diseases.  In the past the most damage has been done by mission employees who like to take the tender shoots home to cook like spinach.  We have had to limit the amount that mission employees can harvest so that there are enough leaves for making moringa powder.  We are selling fresh leaves through a merchant in front of the WISH ice factory in hopes that others will get the idea to grow extra moringa trees and sell the leaves in the markets.
  
The trees also  provide seeds that are distributed worldwide through the Christian group Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO). Cory Thede, who is in charge of this project, occasionally gets emails requesting information about Moringa from far-away lands. We praise the Lord for His provision of this tree. We also are thankful to those who have supported this project financially and with prayer.

Moringa trees

Moringa garden

Solar heated moringa drying shed.

Grinding dry leaves with a mortar and pestle

Sifting out stems and particles

The finished product