2nd Trip ~ Episode 13: Foraging, A Multi-Generational Skill

Ingoni Everyone!                                                                  

    With less than two weeks until my return to Africa, reality is
beginning to set in and I am getting excited! I can't wait to get back to
Borongole and the adopted African family that are my dear brothers and
sisters in the Lord. The next two weeks will be full of personal study, speaking engagements, last minute shopping, packing, and fellowship with
friends before I leave. 
     I appreciate your prayers for all the preparations that need to fall into place. Please pray also for the Levi's, as there is much they are waiting on the Lord to provide before they leave as well, and much that needs to be done as you pack up a family of 8. God has been so faithful in the past, we trust Him to order all of our steps.

     In past episodes I have mentioned the resourcefulness of the people of South Sudan. While I was there, I observed a clear example of this resourcefulness in the use of native plants and trees for a multitude of uses. Taking a walk in the bush wasn't just exercise and exploration, but a nature lesson.

    On a trek through the bush with William Levi, founder of Operation Nehemiah, I was blown away! Every few minutes he would point out a tree or bush with incredibly practical uses.    
   "This is the Alwa tree which we gather oil from."
    "When the bark is peeled of this small tree, you can use it for rope!"
    "Mothers will wash babies in the water soaked with this plants leaves."
   You would stumble upon wild Aloe (hopefully not literally, they have thorny spines!) and encounter different varieties of wild fruits that would satisfy hunger and quench thirst very effectively. On my first trip I remember a four hour hike I took with men from our village. We didn't bring breakfast or lunch with us into the Bush, instead feasting on a yellow, Cherry-tomato-shaped wild fruit called Esu. It had a delicious tartness to it and fully satisfied me until my late evening meal, several hours later.
   Several staple South Sudanese dishes come from wild edible plants out in the bush. I would frequently see my adopted mama and sisters walk out of the village with gathering baskets on their heads. An hour later those baskets would be full of wild greens or bean pods. On those days I knew I could look forward to a delicious meal of Asobi or Cheroko for dinner.
     Another great example is the African tooth brush. From the bark or stem of a few different species of tree are natural chemical components which will clean and whiten your teeth! These varied kinds of trees are very common and you are able to brush your teeth wherever you are. The people of South Sudan have the whitest and straightest teeth I have seen and many people primarily use these "natural" toothbrushes. A stick or piece of bark is more efficient and available than any tube of "Colgate" that you could buy at the store!

    William and his older siblings came from a generation that were raised in South Sudan before the war. Childhood was full of sustenance agriculture, hunting, and animal raising with their families. They grew up being educated in the wilderness lore and woodcraft that has been passed down for generations.
      Fast forward to those 30 years old and younger. Before and after they were born, resurgences of warring violence chased their family into exile. Growing up in refuge camps in Uganda gave no opportunity to learn knowledge of foraging and the natural resources here that are so helpful.
   
     As I reflected on this it became clear that in a few generations this knowledge and skill will be lost. The younger generations of South Sudan would be losing a wealth of information, which would be a great shame and put them at a disadvantage. This concern has grown, in both myself and William, a desire to preserve this natural heritage. Beginning this trip, we will begin to record, study, and document the various foliage and flora, along with its practical uses. The long term goal is to have a field guide specific to South Sudan, where the use and knowledge of useful native plants, trees and shrubs can be passed on to the future generations of South Sudan.

    "And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food...  The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it."
                                                                                 Genesis 2:8-9a, 15


Rubanga Cola nito (God be with you)!

~Jonathan Lueken with Operation Nehemiah