From Plane Crash Survivor to Herbalist - Tia Judite’s Story | Mozambique
On a sweltering summer day in Maputo, Sago Journal sat down with Tia Judite, a resilient herbalist hailing from Beira, Mozambique. From surviving a harrowing plane crash to finding solace and purpose in the healing power of herbs, Tia Judite's remarkable story is one of courage, resilience & healing.
Tia Judite, photographed by Basia Diagne in Maputo, Mozambique, 2022.
Olá Judite, thank you for being here with us today. Tell us about your journey up until now- how did you become a healer?
My story begins in the year 2000. I was in a terrible plane crash and lost part of my liver. Here in Africa, when you don't have a father or mother after an accident, the family doesn't help much. So I ended up in an orphanage. Luckily, one of my aunts was a professional combat coordinator in Sofala, so she was able to help me, and placed me under the care of a missionary, Dona Naveira, at the orphanage. There, Dona Naveira supported me as I went to school and put a roof over my head- as I had no where to live. This is also where I met the Americans. One of the Americans discovered that I had a liver problem- at the time I didn't know I had a liver problem. They helped organize so that I could be operated on in Maputo.
After the operation, the doctor who had performed the surgery delivered unexpected news: I couldn't rely on pills anymore due to my liver's condition. Instead, she urged me to explore natural medicine. So I started researching the plants and found out that they were available right here. I used to order them from abroad, but once I discovered that they were also available here, I started ordering plants from Beira and Chimoio.
Where do you source your herbs from currently?
Initially, I used to import these natural herbs from abroad, ordering them from Brazil and receiving them at the airport, and then selling them. But it didn't take long for me to realize that I was bleeding money by relying on overseas products. So, I decided to shift my strategy and started buying locally.
It varies, during the war I used to send for them and received them at the airport, I had to go to the center of Mozambique. Now I receive it at the junta, at the terminal for the plates that come from the provinces. One or two things I order from Brazil, but most things we have here in Mozambique.
During cyclone Idai, I lost everything, so I no longer have a shamba to grow herbs. But in Chimoi the nuns have some shambas that produce these plants. It's a huge orchard with lots of plants, they produce various plants: ginseng, horsetail, azante, red currant, hisbiscus, barbatim, minerama, blackberry beer, horsetail, carkeja, sipo insolina, guaco, sabomgueiro, tanssage, zinha, dandelion- I can go on naming them!
In Chimoio, there is a nun who has a shamba (farm) filled with various kinds of medicinal plants. So I started buying here. I also attempted to cultivate these plants in Sofala, but nature had other plans. Cyclone Idai swept through, leaving us with nothing but lost crops. Undeterred, I adapted. Instead of growing the plants myself, I now purchase them to resell.
These medicinal herbs have become not just my business but my lifeline. They're the reason I can put food on my table and cover my medical expenses.
Tia Judite gesturing to the various herbal remedies and plant medications that she packages and sells.
Which herbs are most in demand by your clients?
Here in Mozambique, the demand for Carqueja is soaring because of its incredible health benefits. People here are turning to it because it's not only anti-inflammatory but also a natural detoxifier. Taking Carqueja isn't just a trend; it's a way to remove localized fat, fight prostate cancer, and boost the immune system. It’s powerful healing qualities has made it a staple in many households in Mozambique!
Another herb that has captured the hearts of many, especially women, is Barbatimão. Beyond its medicinal uses, it plays a crucial role in women's postnatal care. After childbirth, Barbatimão is boiled and used for sitz baths. This natural practice helps women heal and return to normalcy after the profound changes their bodies undergo during childbirth. It's a comforting remedy, especially considering the significant physical strain a woman's body endures during childbirth. But Barbatimão isn't just limited to postnatal care; it's beneficial for hernias, acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, and supports heart health. Its versatility and effectiveness make it a cherished herb among the people of Mozambique.
One of my personal favorites that is also often in demand, is horsetail. I take horsetail a lot as I'm asthmatic and it helps a lot, but it also helps with acne, pimples, with stretch marks, wrinkles and has anti-ageing properties. Oh- and it also helps with weight loss. The plant has so many benefits that many come to me saying “We want horsetail, you have carqueja, yes?"
As well as being good for gastritis, I make a mixture of seven plants different plants which is used by many women to help relieve menstrual cramps. It also helps women to become fertile, when they have problems conceiving by helping to cleanse the female reproductive system and to receive semen.
Cat's claw is good for sexually transmitted infections, asthma, skin and female fertility. Another plant that people look for a lot is Ginseng, a plant from Asia, but we also have it here. This plant gives a lot of energy, helps with memory, stress, mental and physical fatigue, sexual impotence for both sexes- it also helps regulate menstruation and also helps combat menopausal hot flushes.
Tia Judite gestures to horsetail, “caqueja” as she explains its uses.
“Before there were no hospitals. The plants are from God, it was God who made them, we have to value what God made."
Our ancestors used medicinal plants to cure illnesses because there were no hospitals here in Africa a long time ago, so when people got sick, they would look for a plant, prepare it, give it to the person and they would get better. This hospital thing came with colonialism, it was the Portuguese who brought hospitals here to Africa, because we didn't have any. People used plants a lot before and when hospitals came along, they left this culture of using plants behind. Our ancestors always used plants to cure illnesses.
But for a long time, medicinal plants have mainly been known to be used by people who performed black magic. People call them healers, but to me, a healer is a person who cures, not a person who performs black magic- a doctor is also a healer because he cures illnesses. People used to think that anyone who uses plants is a person who does black magic- "Plant? Are you a healer? But now they are slowly catching on and changing their minds.
Before there were no hospitals and the plants are from God, it was God who made them, we have to value what God made. I am open to knowing more about the spiritual side of taking plant medicine and the connection to ancestors, but for me it's just natural. I have no spiritual connection. I have the knowledge of the plants, it has benefitted me and healed me, and now I share this knowledge to heal others.
Many thanks to Leandro Mitau & Laura De Matos for their support with interviewing, transcribing and translating.