Project Update: Farm-to-Clinic Plants its First Seeds

On September 1st, we published our first update for our new Farm-to-Clinic medicinal herb garden project.

Below is a copy of the report originally posted on our GlobalGiving project page (https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/farm-to-clinic-ometepe/updates/).

Steps Forward for Farm-to-Clinic Ometepe

By Sabrina Kerin – Program Coordinator

Isolina working on the medicinal herb garden plot

Isolina, pictured here, is the newly designated Project Manager for the Farm-to-Clinic medicinal herb plot. Isolina has worked with Project Bona Fide for over seven years and is now taking on a new leadership role that creates a new and exciting economic opportunity for her and her two sons, Nevis and Luis. Her involvement in the project as the Project Manager not only creates an economic opportunity for her and her family, but it also empowers her to be a leader. Isolina is the first woman to take on a managerial position at the farm and we are very excited to foster and encourage her growth in this endeavor. When Isolina isn’t working on the farm or the medicinal herb land, she is busy taking care of her family and helping her sons take care of their land on the island.

Shortly after the Global Giving June Challenge, Project Bona Fide staff members got together to talk about the next steps for turning the previously barren land into a medicinal herb-producing powerhouse. After thorough discussion amongst team members, the consensus was reached that Isolina would be the best fit to take over the project. Her connectivity with the land and traditional farming patterns make her a huge asset to the project. In just a few weeks, Isolina will be accompanied by a Medicinal Herb Intern from Bona Fide who will research the medicinal plants being grown and the different techniques used to process them.

The project funding we’ve received on GlobalGiving has allowed us to move forward in purchasing a water pump, which will contribute to the construction of the first irrigation system on Project Bona Fide’s land. Funding has also contributed to the planting of our first two medicinal plants, turmeric and andrographis. Turmeric, curcuma longa, is a powerful anti-inflammatory that can be used to treat a variety of illnesses like cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Andrographis, andrographis paniculata, has been used as medicine since ancient times to treat infection, ulcerative colitis, and rheumatic symptoms.

We are looking forward to a strong planting season, a good harvest, and processing our first batch of herbal medicine on site! Thank you again to all who have supported this project – we couldn’t do this without you!

Turmeric is planted!