The Face Behind the Discovery of Moringa

In 2008, our daughter was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, suffering from severe eczema, allergies, and asthma. For the first six years of her life, our world revolved around constant hospital and clinic visits, as her asthma attacks were so frequent and severe that I became an expert in pulmonary diseases without ever attending medical school. It was an exhausting and terrifying routine until one day, our lives took an unexpected turn when we met a retired medical doctor who was educating communities about healthy living through organic backyard farming.

This encounter was the beginning of our journey to discover Moringa—a plant we had never heard of, yet one that had been used for centuries. After two more agonizing years of searching for Moringa seeds, we finally connected with someone who knew about it. As soon as the seeds arrived, we planted them, and within three weeks, the first leaves were harvested and processed into powder. It was astonishing to witness a tree grow and mature so quickly. We began incorporating Moringa into our diet and encouraged local community members to do the same by forming a cooperative aimed at cultivating and selling Moringa products. Initially, it was challenging to convince others; this plant seemed too good to be true, and much community sensitization was needed. As a result, we started giving Moringa away to prove its benefits.

The transformation in our daughter’s health was nothing short of miraculous. Her eczema vanished, her allergic reactions drastically decreased, and asthma attacks became less frequent. By the time she was eight, she was so convinced of Moringa’s power that she began selling it to anyone in need of relief, even earning enough to buy her father a gift—a tablet phone from her own Moringa sales commissions. The most remarkable part of our journey was that our daughter no longer needed inhalers, nebulizers, or any asthma medications, and her visits to the clinic stopped entirely.

Today, Malkia is a thriving teenager, a vocal advocate for Moringa, and a young entrepreneur with her own line of Moringa-based products. Her story has not only inspired our community but has also gained her recognition as the youngest entrepreneur featured on a local TV show. Her resilience and determination to spread the healing power of Moringa serve as a beacon of hope for many families facing similar struggles