Sentayhu Belachew (48) knew that Gesho was a useful plant, his grandfather had a small shrub which he used to flavour Tej, the local honey beer. But when Sentayhu joined a small farmers group run by SUNARMA he learned it could do so much more.
This included:-
• Its roots stabilised the land helping to prevent erosion.
• The wood from the mature shrub could be used as firewood. • The ripe berry (that looks a bit like a Sloe from a Blackthorn) could be eaten if it was harvested before the birds feasted on it!
• The attractive shrub gave shade which meant he could grow other plants in between the rows receiving shelter from the elements and helping conserve soil water moisture.
• The bark has medicinal value including antimicrobial properties, alleviating inflammation, it is an anti-oxidant and even protects the liver!
All these things, along with it’s economic value added up to persuade Sentayhu to have a go at growing it. He only had just under one hectare of land to feed his family of six, it’s a big risk to set aside even a small portion of land to something new and risk hunger for his children. Anyway, he was lent 400 plants (he will pay back the value to his farmer group in two years) and grew 0.16ha of his farm and has so far made an income of£350 from the sale of 800 kilos of dried leaves. This is far beyond what he would have made on this small plot of land. Sentayhu (pictured with his Geshho plants) now plans to double his production and is learning how to grow his own plants from seed for his use and sell the excess plants in the market. Gesho is indeed a wonder plant with many uses. All these things, along with it economic value added up to persuade Sentayhu to have a go at growing it.He only had just under one hectare of land to feed his family of six, it’s a big risk to set aside even a small portion of land to something new and risk hunger for his children. Anyway, he was lent 400 plants (he will pay back the value to his farmer group in two years) and grew 0.16ha of his farm and has so far made an income of£350 from the sale of 800 kilos of dried leaves. This is far beyond what he would have made on this small plot of land. Sentayhu (pictured with his Geshho plants) now plans to double his production and is learning how to grow his own plants from seed for his use and sell the excess plants in the market.
Gesho is indeed a wonder plant with many uses.
