Healthcare comes naturally

Medicines made from plants provide affordable relief from common illnesses for families in the Philippines. [Annie Bungeroth]

Gardens bursting with vividly coloured flowers in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines are providing vital healthcare in poor communities

People living in remote parts of the diocese of Pagadian in western Mindanao are trained how to grow plants and vegetables on their land to improve overall health by CAFOD’s partner the Community Based Health Programme (CBHP).

More than 800 volunteers have been trained so far in first aid, reflexology and herbal medicine-making by CBHP.

In addition CBHP encourages families to plant vegetable gardens so that they can grow a nutritious food source for themselves.

Alternative medicine

Home grown herbs are made into medicines that ease the symptoms of coughs, headaches and indigestion, providing families with an alternative to expensive Western drugs.

Delicious smelling handmade papaya soap is also made and sold by some of the volunteers to earn them a little extra income.

Their new skills have helped increase people’s confidence and self-esteem as it enables them to look after their families in an affordable way.

Bibing Taniola trains people in poor communities how to make papaya soap and sell it to earn and income [Annie Bungeroth]

Trainer Bibing Taniola, 45, has been working with CBHP for 20 years. She herself was a volunteer worker in a rural area before becoming a member of staff in 1998.

“CBHP helps people’s economic problems and changes their attitudes because they don’t have to buy Western medicines so the money they save can be used for school or food. Our treatments are very effective for common diseases.

“I’m motivated by love and by my commitment to CBHP. I feel very happy about my work and I work hard – I think that’s why I’ve never married!

"For me, the highlight is the sense of friendship between all the CBHP workers who I train."

Common health problems

“We work in very poor communities where the most common problems are flu, diarrhoea, coughs, headaches, stomach aches, arthritis and malnutrition.

Rachel Aragon has learned how to make herbal medicines thanks to CAFOD's partner Community Based Health Programme [Annie Bungeroth]

“We also produce some soaps made from natural ingredients. It’s a good way of raising money. I know papaya is good for the skin so we worked out a recipe and started making that in 1998.

“Thank you so much to the families who support CAFOD. This helps sustain our programme and I hope you can continue to help us.”

Rachel Aragon, 18, is training to be a nurse and says CBHP has helped her family a lot, as her mother can make cures for people from the family's herbal garden.

"I’ve learned so much from her that I can use in the future in my own work. If we buy commercial medicines we can’t afford to eat so herbal medicines are much better.

"Many children in this area are malnourished because their parents are unemployed, so it is important they can learn to look after the family’s health.”

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