The First Pan African Homeopathic Congress
by Dr Judith Hapgood
To attend the first ever African congress of homeopathy at the end of May in Mombasa was a unique moment in history and like a breath of fresh air to a drowning man to find brave, intrepid pioneers treating typhoid, cholera, malaria and other infectious and life-threatening diseases. A common mission is to treat as many patients as possible, make homeopathy available throughout Africa, train local practitioners to the highest standards and make projects self sustainable, showing and proving the miracle of homoeopathy.
Over 60 people gathered at a homoeopathy school in Kenya from Swaziland, Ghana, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Germany, Israel, Switzerland, England, Canada, the Netherlands and the USA. A group of mainly women homeopaths even drove the epic distance of 4000 kms from Swaziland.
Most people working on the ground in Africa are doing it simply because it needs to be done with no consideration for personal gain or prestige, a really optimistic outlook for the world appropriately coming from the Great Rift Valley, Cradle of Humanity.
The robust Chief of the province proudly admitted being a patient at the clinic run by the Kenia school built by a young Dutch woman 7 years ago. This inspirational school raised all the funds from foreign donors for 52 full-time residential students and a campus which includes an internet cafe, library, lecture hall, residences and a thatched communal space, seating 250 people.
A Cape homoeopath who trains lay homeopaths runs her courses beyond our borders due to South African restrictions. Her trainees treat thousands of patients with life-threatening diseases. International homoeopaths teach locals and supply volunteer homoeopaths in Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania. Richard Pitt from the USA is doing extensive work in Malawi and other parts of Africa treating and teaching the locals with serious infectious diseases. Renowned homeopath and teacher Jeremy Sherr is compiling a free classical correspondence course written in language and terms appropriate to Africa. A group from Germany train illiterate midwives through the medium of cards and song after which they treat hundreds of villagers effectively with complications in childbirth.
An Agro-Homoeopath demonstrated treatment with homeopathy to plant diseases such as fungus, aphids, yellowing leaves and plants failing to thrive.
Homoeopathy is spreading throughout Africa like bushfire and we South Africans have much to learn from the generous, courageous, enterprising work done north of us.
Dr Judith Hapgood
Homoeopath
LccH (UK) PcHom (Dynamis, UK)
judithhap@xsinet.co.za
Judith has a general practice in Somerset West, South Africa, and has an interest in children's illnesses, serious diseases and treating the under-privileged unable to access homeopathy. After graduating she began a twenty year career with two years internship with Jeremy Sherr.