“The baobab tree is a miracle tree, from it, I have managed to change my life
and the community around me; its size has symbolised the big positive changes
I have gained from it,” said the Rosemary Muleya.
These were the sentiments of an elderly Hwange woman, Rosemary Muleya,
who is the Chairlady of the Mushingo Trading, a Baobab Processing plant
which is under the Hwange Rural District Council.
The Baobab Processing Plant is a result of the excess availability of Baobab
trees popularly known as Umkhomo trees in Hwange district. Hwange district
boasts of a number of baobab trees due to its climatic conditions as it is
extremely dry and arid therefore making it conducive for baobab trees to
thrive.
The elevation of Hwange women started in 2013 when 1 500 of them from four
rural wards were given the opportunity to benefit economically from the
presence of the giant iconic tree in district. But as the adage says many are
called, and a few are chosen. To date only five out of the 1 500 women have
benefitted fully from the baobab trees.
The remaining five women managed to establish a company and called it
Mushingo Baobab Processing Centre. Mushingo is a Nambya word which
means work and so the company is led by hard working women who focus on
processing the baobab fruits and sell the by-products.
The Baobab tree is one of the giant trees found in Southern Africa. It is often
referred to as the African Iconic “Tree of life” and true to this, it has given life
to Hwange rural women.
Due to the dedication the women showed in preserving the environment, Food
and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) supported the women with a baobab
processing plant and Hwange Rural District Council with land for the Mushingo
Baobab Processing Centre.
“It all started as a way of protecting the environment by desisting from wood
and sand poaching. We were all encouraged to protect the baobab fruit and get
value addition from the Baobab tree,” said Muleya
Despite being rooted deeply in the rural area, the women led company has
adopted proper business models and has produced several by-products from the
processing of baobab fruits.
“We truly get value from the baobab tree, we have our harvesters from all over
the district, from Chilanga, Lukhosi, Chibhala and Jambezi, After harvesting
and processing we have by products such as skin oils, coffee, baobab powders,
juices as well as stock feed for livestock,” said Constance Liteta the Secretary of
the Mushingo Trading Company.
The baobab products have many uses including medicinal functions to treat
wounds, ringworms, rash and also ears.
“The oils are good for treating skin condition, the juices also prevent
hypertension and diabetes as well as naturally cleansing the body especially for
women. In addition for both men and women the juices can be used as
aphrodisiacs,” she said.
When processing the baobab fruit, it is crushed and then put into a machine
which separates seed and powder. The seeds are further ground to form oil and
the powder to other products such as coffee. The process of grinding the seed
results in stock feed.
“All of our products are very healthy with no side effects as they are just
organic and boost your immune system,” said Beatrice Ncube the company’s
Production Manager.
At Mushingo Processing Company, the women also use their machines to
make 300 freezits in 30 minutes and 10 000 per day and produce 80 litres of oil
every day.
The company has been harvesting baobab fruits from the oldest trees in the
district while it also has a plantation of baobab trees as way of conserving more
baobab trees.
Baobab trees grow in 32 African countries. They can live for up to 5,000 years,
reach up to 30 metres high and up to an enormous 50 metres in circumference.
Baobab trees can provide shelter, food and water for animals and humans,
which is why many savannah communities have made their homes near Baobab
trees.
However, every part of the baobab tree is valuable – the bark can be turned
into rope and clothing, the seeds can be used to make cosmetic oils, the
leaves are edible, the trunks can store water and the fruit is extraordinarily
rich in nutrients and antioxidants. Women in Africa have turned to the
baobab fruit as a natural source of health and beauty for centuries.
Baobab is the only fruit in the world that dries naturally on its branch.
Instead of dropping and spoiling, it stays on the branch and bakes in the
sun for six months – transforming its green velvety coating into a hard
coconut-like shell. The pulp of the fruit dries out completely. This means
the fruit simply needs to be harvested, deseeded and sieved to produce a
delicious pure fruit powder.
Unlike many other supplements, baobab powder does not have to be spray-
dried, freeze-dried or transformed in any way. It is 100% pure fruit in its
natural form. Incredibly, the fruit has a natural shelf life of three years so
there are no preservatives or additives whatsoever.
Due to its growth in harsh conditions, the baobab tree is a symbol of life
and positivity in a landscape where little else can thrive. Therefore the
baobab tree is giving a life line of hope for most Hwange rural women
