Ghana, like much of Africa, is blessed with fertile land that produces an extensive amount of Plants. My people lived in harmony with the environment which led to the development of a huge library of knowledge on how to use these plants medicinally and spiritually.
During ‘old’ colonisation (cause we still colonised), the colonisers were seriously hating and used their evil mindset to undermine our culture. But Ghana during colonisation was also known as the “white man’s graveyard” due to the high mortality rate amongst the europeans who colonised Ghana. So when the colonisers were dying and their medicine wasnt working they then recognised the value of our traditional medicine. One example dates back to 1766 when Christian Tychsen, the governor of Christiansborg Castle, had a whole policy of sending his sick to the village of Osu, to seek help from Ga healers. The policy did something as we only received ‘independence’ in 1957!
Despite the continued exploitation of our flora and fauna, Africa’s huge contributions to medicine is often overlooked – people still hating hundreds of years later! Now in this article I will look at 3 plants from Ghana that hold significance to me due to my personal experiences with them, this is just a tiny insight to the amazing uses of plants often forgotten, or stolen from our land – repackaged and sold back to us at extortionate prices.
Taami (Miracle fruit)
Mi Suumo bo tamo Taami (I love you like Taami) is a common way of expressing your love to someone in the Ga Language. Now why Taami – Taami is a plant that produces red berries and when you eat it, everything you eat afterwards tastes sweet – you can chew a lemon and it will taste sweet, fufu and palm nut soup – sweet. The fact its named miracle berry in English says it all, the constituent in the plant responsible for changing the taste is even called ‘miraculin’. This plant can help manage blood sugar levels increasing insulin sensitivity, and parts of the plant are rich in constituents that have cancer preventing properties. If there is a plant to express your love to someone – this would be it.
Nyanyara (English: Bitter melon)
This plant holds great significance in GaDangme culture, because of its ability to ward off evil and spiritually cleanse people. Many people keep bundles of Nyanyara in their homes and cars for protection. I had only ever seen the leaves and occasional flower, and on researching the plant further found that this plant also bears a well-known fruit – bitter melon and is known in the Caribbean as Cerasee!
Regarding its medicinal uses, Nyanyara is often employed as a spiritual bath, and it comes as no surprise that it exhibits antimicrobial and antiviral properties, proving effective against e-coli and staphylococcus aureus. It’s also used for high blood pressure, has powerful antioxidant activity and research is showing this herb may be beneficial in certain types of cancer – and this is just the leaf! Nevertheless, caution is essential, as certain parts of the plant have antifertility activity and have been used to induce abortion and prevent childbirth when ingested.
This plant, in my view, beautifully illustrates the intertwining of the spiritual realm with the physical world, providing a captivating glimpse into the intricate connections between the two. This profound connection and reverence lie at the heart of GaDangme culture, shaping its beliefs and practices – which continue to be relevant today.
So let’s appreciate the value of what we have and not wait for Capitalism in all its form to destroy it. Please note down the knowledge from your elders, and save the seeds of certain plants as now they are being found by the west, overharvesting and destruction of the plants habitat is a real possibility.