MOOLIGAI THOTTAM (HERB GARDEN) PROJECT
Reports and details of this Project will be available from this page.
Traditional Herb Gardens in South India PDF file
Herb Garden (Mooligai Thottam) Project PDF file
Herb Garden Brochure PDF file
Half Year report 2010 PDF file
Annual Report 2011 PDF file
Mooligai Thottam Report August 2011 Word Doc or pdf
Herb Project Evaluation PDF File March 2012
Mooligai Thottam (herb garden in Tamil) was designed to reconnect people with traditional forms of medicine. The initial programme was for 22 months ending in April 2012. An evaluation was completed in January 2012 and a new programme is planned, linking it to the health programme that Tamwed has been supporting for several years. The project was delivered by CRUSADE, a long-term partner of Tamwed's which works with rural communities north of Chennai, and was supported by the Foundation for the Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), based in Bangalore.
The aim of the initial project was to enable local people in Tamil Nadu to reconnect with traditional methods of healthcare through education and the creation of family Kitchen Herb Gardens. It related to other forms of medicine and healthcare to enable the treatment of everyday ailments that do not require advanced medical intervention.
In the long term, the aim is for the programme to be financially self-sufficient as herb production and processing from the gardens is developed.
This project supported rural families which would otherwise find it difficult to pay for healthcare treatment; revitalised knowledge about the use herbs in a safe and effective way for everyday ailments and simple first aid and; increased the biodiversity of previously unkempt and derelict land.
It achieved this during the initial 22 months programme by training 20 women as trainers in medicinal plant growing methods who then went on to train others; setting up a demonstration herb garden and nursery with indigenous plants; and supporting the creation of 220 family herb gardens.
The government medical system (allopathic) is only able to offer primary health care to 30% of India's rural population. Evaluations of the Kitchen Herb Garden systems have shown that up to 85% of participants are from the more deprived communities and so these projects actively play a role in poverty reduction. For example, medical expenses can be reduced by up to five times when using herbal medicines grown and harvested locally.
Please read our reports and research and contact Diana Lee at info@tamwed.org for further information.
CRUSADE http://www.crusadeindia.org – our long term partner based near Chennai.