Monday, November 16, 2009

PROFESSOR AMEENAH GURIB FAKIM THE GREATEST AMBASSADOR OF MAURITIUS ISLAND FLORA & TRADIONAL MEDECINE!









Professor Ameenah Gurib Fakim is the first female professor at the University of l'Ile Maurice. This beautiful mother of 2 wears so many hats : she's a writer, a researcher, a scientist, a wife and a mother.
This chemist's work centers around the medicinal and pharmacological properties of local Mauritius plants.
In fact with her team counted 50 000 medecinal plants on her island, they also spoke to the elders of the island who knew and shared some of the secrets of these plants.
I love Ameenah's mission, she wants her people to know that tradional medecine could be a great economical booster of the Island. If it was recognized, farmers could increase the production of those plants, medicinal licenses could be obtained through the official validaton of herbal extracts.
Among some of the plants she's been working with is "le melon amer" which fights diabetes among other things.
This UNESCO prize winner & African Union Women Scientist Regional winner 2009 is truly a fabulafricana.
Reading about her inspired me to respect the african flora and to find out more about the secrets of african plants. In the little video doc' that follows , she explains that on her island there are some plants that can't be found in the rest of the world, only on Mauritius island..waouh!
I also learned that intellectual properties doesn't just pertain to creative work but also to scientific work.

Check her out on this video:
http://www.terre.tv/#/fr/sante-et-environnement/entretien/1934_ecoforum--ameenah-gurib-fakim
Here's a great interview:
http://ww.ipsnews.org/news.asp?idnews=48529

Djaa our sistas from Mauritius Island are unstoppable:)
Eyeee Wayee:)

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