by Crissy Guerrero, NTFP-EP
Phong looked at his baby, Kim Ngoc, smiled and shared with us his story. Over a year ago, his wife, Tien, was complaining of pains in the lower abdomen. Phong decided to bring her to the doctor trained in Western medicine. To his dismay, the doctor said that his wife had a grave illness in her kidney and she had to be operated on immediately or else she would not be able to deliver another baby ever again. Phong did not believe the doctor and instead bet with him that he would be able to heal his wife through medicines from forest plants. Kim Ngoc was proof enough that he had won that wager.
Phong had used the plant, Thui Dit of the family Fabaceae, to treat his wife over a year ago. Phong is a traditional healer from the ethnic Cham people of Southern Vietnam. The Kingdom of Champa flourished up to the 15th century in Central and Southern Vietnam. They are known not only for the temples that reflect the legacy of an ancient civilization but also for their healing tradition.
“We have at least 400 recipes of traditional medicines”, Phong said, as he leafed through the delicate pages of what he called the “Bible” of Cham traditional medicine written in an ancient script only a few can decipher. Because of his knowledge and his eagerness to keep the Cham healing tradition alive (Phong photocopied dozens of the “medicine-recipe-Bible” and distributed it free of charge to other Cham colleagues), Phong had been made the Chairman of the 32 man-strong traditional healers association of his commune in the Village of Binh Nghia in the province of Ninh Thuan. The interest is so high in conserving the healing tradition such that the provincial government has now offered to support a publication on traditional Cham medicines and medicinal plants.
Such interest was unheard of about three years ago. At this time, the Center for Biodiversity and Development (CBD), a group of young community-development minded, Saigon-based researchers, met Phong. Realizing his zeal and depth and breadth of knowledge, they supported his work with meager funds to start a traditional medicine garden. Lo and behold, after several months, the resourceful Phong, with hardly any space behind his small home (doubling up as his wife’s tailoring shop) had established a flourishing 100 sqm meter garden with over 100 species of different plant varieties. Phong shared that the plants could provide relief to common colds, cure cows of fever and some plants could be used to treat liver disease and other ailments. Phong treats not only local residents with his medicines but people come from far and wide to be treated.
Phong is still experimenting with the cultivation of medicinal plants. He has had some success with some plants while for others he is still testing soil, light and water conditions. He tells us that “The forest is still the best medicine bank”. Unfortunately it is that same “bank” that is being “robbed” through illegal logging and poaching activities.
It is the hope of Phong and CBD that through awareness raising, medicinal garden development and further training of healers, more can understand the importance of forest-based medicine. His simple message is, the forest can cure, only if and when we also care for the forest. May the legacy of Cham medicine extend beyond the generation of Kim Ngoc.
Email: crissyg33@yahoo.com
