The Healer Even the Doctors Seek out- Hakim Tiruneh | Arba Minch
In the Southern Ethiopian city of Arba Minch, rumors circulate amongst the community of a powerful healer, one that even medical doctors at the Arba Minch hospital seek out for care, and send patients to. Sago Journal sat down with Hakim Tiruneh to discuss snake deterring lotions, warding off the evil eye and his healing practice.
Hakim Tiruneh, photographed by Basia Diagne in Arba Minch, Southern Ethiopia | May 2023
On a balmy morning in the Southern Ethiopian city of Arba Minch, fondly known as the "Land of 40 Springs" for its rich tapestry of natural springs and verdant forests, we find ourselves outside our hotel, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Dr. Kebede, a doctor and researcher at the Arba Minch General hospital. Tall and lanky with a stoic face, Dr. Kebede arrives fresh off of his shift at the hospital, greeting us with a kind but tired smile.
Today, Dr. Kebede will acompany us to meet one of the most renowned healers of Arba Minch: Hakim Tiruneh.
We are put in contact with Hakim Tiruneh through Misgueye, our trusted friend and self-declared tour guide of Arba Minch, whose 3 wheeler carried us all over town during our stay in Arba Minch. Grateful for Dr. Kebede’s time and energy, we waste little time, hopping aboard Misgueye’s 3 wheeler, and make our way of the main city of Arba Minch and into the lush outskirts.
We cruise through the vast landscape of emerald greenery, speckled with dense patches of banana farms, gliding along the edges of Chamo Lake, its murky waters reflecting the serene beauty of the surroundings, but its depths harboring the the most vicious crocodile known to man- the Nile crocodile.
The lush and vast landscape of Arba Minch, Lake Chamo in the background.
Aside from the occasional traffic jam from passing herds of cows, our journey is a peaceful one, punctuated only by the soft hum of the vehicle. Finally, we reach our destination, marked by a majestic tree adorned with hanging bee hives. Not too far from the tree, Hakim Tiruneh stands waiting for us, his figure tall and poised, his skin dark and shiny against the crimson dress shirt he dones. His excitement and warmth is palpable as he greets us in a fast and sing-song Amharic, which Dr. Kebede skillfully translates.
Hakim, meaning “healer” in Amharic, motions for us to follow him towards the tree, gesturing towards the hanging beehives fashioned in the traditional cylindrical shape unique to rural Ethiopia. Crafted from locally sourced materials such as bamboo, mud, and cow dung, this beekeeping method dates back to 3500 to 3000 BC, ancestral knowledge passed down from generation to generation.
Tree belonging to Hakim Tiruneh, doning beehives woven in traditional Ethiopian cylindrical form.
“With these hives, I make various different kinds of honey, which I use for medicines. I know how to attract the bees, with a powerful cream that I make. Some bees live underground or in trees, so I use this cream to attract the Queen Bee, leading the rest of the bees to follow her. However, when I do this, the snakes are also charmed, and they begin to follow as well. Once I found a cobra snake standing still in my backyard, about to attack my cows. Such snakes are uncommon in Arba Minch, and I was puzzled about its origin. For this, I have three different creams, one that immobilises the snake, one that kills it, and a medicine that drives snakes away from the area. In this particular case, I chewed the medicine that immobilised the snake before killing it.”
Squeezing the four of us back into Misgueye’s 3 wheeler, we head towards Hakim Tiruneh’s homestead in search of quieter place to speak. Weaving through a small but quaint village, we arrive at Hakim Tiruneh’s family home. We enter the backyard, fenced in by large sticks, taking seat at a small plastic table covered in a red plastic sheet. The soft strains of 80s music drift from the neighbour's yard, accompanied by the occasional bleat of their goat, slightly out of tune. Settling into the plastic chairs, we introduce ourselves and Sago Journal before giving Hakim Tiruneh the space to introduce himself.
Hakim Tiruneh proudly demonstrates the letters he has written to the government about his findings, and his successes in treating certain ailments.
“My name is Tiruneh Churbo Lenda, and I am 32 years old. I was born and raised here in Lantie, just outside of Arba Minch. The healing knowledge I have, I received from my father. I started practicing being a healer in 1998 Ethiopian calendar (2006 Gregorian calendar,) and I am a accredited by the local authorities. My father chose me to be a healer, and I chose him.
My father first taught me how to manage bone fractures and dislocations, as a bone setter. After a year of training, my father said to me, “out of all my twenty-one children, you will be the one to inherit my knowledge and benefit the society.” Then, he took me to the forest and began to show me all the medicinal leaves and plants used for healing purposes. He taught me how to use of each herbal plants, and for which corresponding disease. Then my father taught me the symptoms of every disease he knew how to cure. I have collaborated with physicians for over 5 years now. When the medication they presrcibe for patients ceases to work, they call me, and send their patients here.
For instance, I am known for treating certain afflictions better than anyone else. Many people come to me to treat hemorrhoids. There are many types of hemorrhoids. For example, the bleeding type, the one with the swelling, which makes defecation difficult. The hemorrhoid with whitish spot on it, the hemorrhoid with slit on it. Other type of hemorrhoid manifests with pain. Other type of hemorrhoid is with anal prolapse. For the swelling type there are 3 types of medications that will rupture the swelling.
There are many snakes in Arba Minch, and in these areas, I am known for producing anti-venom medications.I can also make the snake move away, or stop moving. When people are troubled by snakes I have herbs that make the snakes leave the area and never comeback.”
Hakim Tiruneh (far left), Misgueye (2nd far left), Dr. Kebede (black shirt) & Lowan Lee,
“The other common problems I encounter are snake bites, liver disease, spleen problems, different kinds of tumors, swilling, evil eye, cancers, fibroids, infertility, ulcers, wounds and skin infections. The skin infections I encounter most often manifest most as whitish patches, which are itchy and have a burning sensation, left untreated, it will continue to impact the skin, and eventually the the bones- which leads to a risk of amputation. To treat this, I use a concoction of 21 different types of herbs mixed together. Once applied to the skin, the herbal properties make the lesion to ooze, but eventually it will dry and heal. I also treat scalp infection which is purulent and itchy, I treat this with a special pomade that I make. I am also able to treat jaundice and various types of jaundice.
Another health challenge I am known for treating are prolapsed discs in the spine. With a prolapsed disc, the pain is mostly concentrated in the lower back. This pain usually begins with a fracture at the spine then progresses to prolapse. I have 4 different types of creams I use to treat this and to manage the pain while the disc heals. I am also known for treating infertility.
I also receive many patients, usually children, who come to me with tonsillitis, complaining about persistent vomiting and high fever, as well as swelling in the neck. I am able to permanently cure this. Some clients however, have deeper problems. They have Evil eye, which can manifest through abdominal cramps, and abnormal sounds coming from the abdomen. Clinicians in the hospital will say that it is giardiasis- but they soon see that when they try to treat it, it doesn’t respond. However, I am able to treat this with an herbal remedy that ensures that the evil eye is cleared, and that the symptoms don’t come back. I treated Misgueye for liver disease, this is how we know each other.”
What are the main forms of medications you use to heal?
“I use 76 different kinds of herbal plants, which I collect from the forest myself, in order to make the medications. I only use herbs, which I can then transform into remedies or creams. I am, however, an Orthodox Christian, so before I heal someone, I also pray for them. Even those from the university campus call to me, when they have problems. At one time, there was a snake infestation, and they could not manage to get rid of them. Knowing this is my expertise, they called me to come settle the matter. We even found an anaconda, which I swiftly dealt with.”
Hakim Tiruneh shows his concoction of 21 different herbs mixed together, which he uses for a variety of different ailments, and always keeps on his person.
How are you able to differentiate between giardiasis and evil eye?
“There are different types of evil eye. We can observe this through abnormal movement of limbs, drooling of saliva, upward rolling of the eyes, severe abdominal pain, loss of consciousness, abdominal distention, shouting, nightmares and excessive crying. In addition to abdominal cramp, people who have succumbed to the evil eye will have periumbilical swelling, shortness of breath, chest pain. If they go to the hospital, clinicians will also say that they have heart issues.”
So where does the evil eye come from? People go see other spiritual figures to go put evil eye on other people? What does that process look like? And how does he recognize it?
“Evil eye is possessed entity. It is hereditary. It can be passed on in families. Most of the people with this power over them are unable to control it- it is an involuntary process. Don’t you have it in the Europe? Evil eye is radiation from the eye of the owner of the power. People seeking to inflict the evil eye use a conconction of milk and onions to cast this evil eye onto other. However, people can protect and mitigate this by wearing some type of eye-ware. Other evil eyes can function as an ultra sound, and the evil eye caster is able to see through a pregnant woman’s womb, to find out if the baby is a male or female. This is dangerous, as the evil-wisher can then induce abortion. I am able to protect people from this, and remedy the symptoms of an evil eye that has been cast on someone. There are people who call themselves healers who engage in this practice, but I do not. I only heal and protect. I am an Orthodox Christian, so when I receive new patients, I pray for them first before beginning to heal them.”
"I put God first and make way for the spiritual healers, such as priests, who heal through God and holy water. When this does not work, then I know it is my time to heal.”
Towards the end of our interview, Hakim Tiruneh receives a call from a patient, which he swiftly attends to, asking their symptoms. Taking a break from translating, Dr. Kebede turns to us, wiping the sleep from his eyes and says, “I am impressed by his knowledge, he can name all of the symptoms of the diseases he treats- he knows as much as we do as medical doctors. I was skeptical before, but he knows a lot.”
Clicking the call to end, Hakim Tiruneh turns his attention back to us. “It was the mother of a sick child. She received my number from another patient I had treated, who recommended me. This is normally how I receive new patients, they refer me to their friends and family.”
When asked if he intends to pass on his knowledge and practice as a healers, Hakim Tiruneh tell us, “I am young, and unmarried, without any children. But a time will come when I do have children, and then, I hope to pass on the knowledge that I have.”
A warm expression of gratitude to Misgueye for his care in always delivering us safely, and for the introduction to Hakim Tiruneh. Deepest thank you’s to Sago Journal’s dear friend Dagem Asrat for his support in organising this interview, and for the introduction to Dr. Kebede. Finally, a special thank you to Dr. Kebede Almaw of the Arba Minch hospital for his support with interviewing, translating and transcribing our dialogue with Hakim Tiruneh. Without him, this work would not have been possible.