Limpopo is one of South Africa’s poorest provinces but this is all changing thanks to what has been dubbed the “miracle tree.” The leaves of the Moringa Oleifera tree are being harvested by a few Tooseng women to fight malnutrition in their communities and to provide a unique means of income.
The Moringa Oleifera tree grows in subtropical areas around the world and has over 200 names in various languages. The tree can grow up to two meters and blooms easily from a cutting or seed. According to Trees for Life International, the small leaves of the Moringa tree have seven times the amount of vitamin C found in oranges, four times the vitamin A of carrots and also includes calcium, potassium, and protein.
The leaves are also known to be rich in antioxidants, and also have medicinal properties. The leaves of the Moringa tree can be chopped and cooked into meals as you would with any other vegetable, and it can be bought in the form of oil, powder, tea or capsules. It’s no wonder, then, that the Moringa tree has become important for a village such as Tooseng.
This is especially as poverty levels in Limpopo alone were recorded at 11.5% in 2016 by Statistics South Africa. The women of Tooseng are part of a cooperative that harvests the leaves of the Moringa tree to produce a nutritious supplement. However, the use of Moringa in Limpopo is particularly being championed by Mavis Mathabatha, who leads the cooperative.
Mathabatha established a drop-in feeding center for children in her community in 2005. The center provides vulnerable children with two meals a day and the Moringa supplement forms an essential part of their diet. Mathabatha also began planting Moringa trees in her feeding center’s grounds. In 2010 she won the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award for her dynamic and sustainable contribution to food security in Limpopo, and is also a recipient of the 2013 Inyathelo Award for Philanthropy in Food Security. Mathabatha has since donated a Moringa tree to each household in her community, allowing them to sustainably benefit from the miracle tree.
Here is a quick look at the incredible nutrients found in Moringa vs Kale.
