Photographs Taken From Field Work At The Hagarla Institute

Moringa Oleifera is a drought-tolerant tree that thrives in hot, dry climates, and produces protein and iron-rich leaves and seed pods that can be eaten as vegetables. The nutritional benefits of this crop are widely reported in scientific studies, and the benefits are so numerous that Moringa Oleifera has been nicknamed the “miracle tree”.

Moringa Oleifera is both a healthy food source for humans, as well as fodder for livestock. There is also research that shows that direct consumption of the seeds has both nutritional and natural medicinal value. Additionally, the seeds can be used as a low-tech water purification system, which studies show can remove up to 90% of organic and inorganic contaminants from drinking water. Most importantly, the tree survives in high temperatures and drought conditions, making it an excellent crop for addressing food insecurity amid severe climate change conditions.

Although it originally came from the Himalayan region, Moringa Oleifera is now a popular crop that has been cultivated across Africa and South America. There is evidence that Somalia has had Moringa Oleifera trees in its agricultural ecosystem for many decades, but this knowledge appears to have been lost during the long period of war. However, in the past 10 years, Somalia has had a revival of Moringa Oleifera cultivation in urban centres across the country.

The Hagarla Institute has been part of this revival of Moringa Oleifera from the beginning. In response to the 2011 famine crisis that killed 260,000 Somali civilians, in 2012, Dr. Deqo Mohamed, founder of The Hagarla Institute, planted a nursery of Moringa Oleifera trees on her property in Afgooye, just outside her hospital. She then shared food and seeds from those trees with the tens of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living near the clinic. This community of IDPs continued to share their seeds with their neighbours and friends, as well as their knowledge of how Moringa Oleifera can help in times of severe drought and famine.

Ten years later, this indigenous, grassroots, humanitarian movement continues to grow, as Somali communities continue to share their seeds and their hope with each other. But our work is not done. The Hagarla Institute is now leading an international team of scientists and researchers to investigate the nutritional and health benefits of Moringa Oleifera across Somalia, and uncover important questions about climate change adaptation and the potential environmental and ecosystem effects of these trees on survival.

Our research has one purpose: to learn how Somalia – and other drought-stricken countries – can best use Moringa Oleifera as a tool to protect themselves against the threat of climate change, and build a future that is healthy, safe, and prosperous. To learn more about Moringa Oleifera, click here.