EXTRA ORDINARY CHIBWABWA

 

By Dr. Chitalu Chilufya 

𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘸𝘢𝘣𝘸𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘦. 

 I promised to return to this humble leaf, and like elders would clear their throats beside crackling village fires, today I keep that promise. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 - 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁, but through neglect of what we place on our plates.

Chibwabwa, so familiar it is often overlooked, carries a quiet authority. 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱: 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀. Nearly every Zambian has eaten them, yet few pause to recognise their power. They remind us that wisdom often grows silently in our own backyards.

Rich in antioxidants, Chibwabwa slows the march of time, preserving vitality and cellular health. It supports healthy reproductive function and helps regulate blood sugar levels, offering relief to those burdened by diabetes. Its generous fibre content firmly places it among foods associated with reduced cancer risk, especially when enjoyed regularly as relish or nourishing soup.

Beyond this, 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗯𝘄𝗮𝗯𝘄𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. Its iron and folate increase haemoglobin and red blood cell production, pushing anaemia into retreat and fortifying the body against infection. Strong bones, healthy blood, and resilient lungs are part of its quiet, faithful labour.

For lactating mothers, Chibwabwa has long been a trusted companion. 𝗜𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗰𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. This is not food for the desperate; it is food for the deliberate - those who understand that health is cultivated, not inherited by chance.

Chibwabwa is a super food carrying potassium, calcium, iron, folic acid, vitamins A, B, C and E, magnesium, phosphorus, fibre, and protein - an entire pharmacy wrapped in green leaves.

And so, when an ambulance siren cuts through the air, I choose to imagine new life arriving rather than life fading away. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻. Share this wisdom, and let it travel, as stories once did, from fire to fire, from generation to generation.