A newly-born black baby was at death’s door. He was suffering from severe malnutrition as he had abdominal dropsy; his sunken eyes and underweight body structure were enough to confirm that he was at the peak point of malnourishment. There wasn’t anything to eat in the house. His mother Abreta’s weak body had become immobilised due to not getting proper food supplement for some days. Unevenly, Abreta had been getting insufficient diet as sometime she would boil leaves of trees and sometimes eat a small piece of hardtack. Since last night, her breast had become completely dry. There was no milk in it for her son who was already suffering from multiple diseases. During the late 90s, a deadly drought hit African country Senegal. A large quantity of people had reached beyond the veil of death till arrival of foreign aid. Even in Abreta’s village, dead bodies of people in large numbers were being buried on the daily basis. People were suffering from various diseases owing to the unavailability of fodder to fill demand of their bodies. In a places where humans were dying on daily basis, how could animals survive? The natives of this country did not have any idea about what was happening to them. They did not know how to deal with this crisis. Senegal government was also waiting for any foreign aid as most of third world countries do. Like other villagers of Abreta’s village, she was hoping that there might arrive any truck carrying essential food supplements including drinking water and medicine for them so that they could not only fulfil their body needs but also recover from this quagmire which is about to make them all dead. Suddenly, people started making noise as they all listened a heavy sound of a truck coming to their village. Abreta stood up, left her baby alone in the house and took a pot for getting aid from the truck for her baby. As she reached outside her house, it was an awkward scene; people were shoving each other in front of truck for acquiring suitable place where from they can get enough food for their households. The Mandhar Development Society is implementing various Moringa related projects, including a plan to promote Moringa plantations along Sindh’s coastal belt, a region which has long been afflicted by malnutrition and food scarcity In the meantime, a Whiteman unlocked the door of the truck and addressing the gathered people, he said: “My name is Fogli and I am a professor of agriculture. I belong to World Church Service and come all the way from America to serve you people by giving useful awareness regarding combating malnutrition so that you people can get recovered timely”. Fogli’s introductory lecture had crushed the expectations of villagers who had gathered to receive aid. Suddenly, everyone started chanting ‘We are dying because of hunger and you are telling stories. We don’t need anything other than food’. “Management of World Church Services said to me that distribute food supplements among you people but I refused because I know food will be ended up soon after distribution. I don’t have flour, wheat, water or even money for you but I do have useful knowledge which I will tell you”, Fogli responded. A man from that gathering shouted “Dying people don’t have any interest in any religion or church services. If you have food then give to us otherwise get lost. Why don’t you tell us what is in this truck”’ As Professor Fogli opened the door of truck, the next scene boggled the minds of everyone because the truck was full of earthenware of a similar type of plant. Professor said to the crowd: “Dear people I have brought a miraculous tree for you which could easy fulfil essential nutritional needs among you and your livestock”. “We are human beings so we need food only. We are not animals who eat plants. Get out from our village because we don’t need your help”, crowed shouted. Fogli calmly replied “Please listen to me. The trucks of food from United Nations are about to reach in your village but that food will be finish up within one week or so then what would you do instead of waiting for another arrivals of aid? But this plant will keep giving you wide range of benefits for years if you grow it”. Abreta, who had gone back to her house, desperately returned with her dying baby and said to Fogli: “Let my baby eat that miraculous tree. For God’s sake leave us alone. We are dying here and you are making joke of it”. Once again a heavy sound of a truck attracted the attention of villagers and they all rushed towards that. It was UN’s truck carrying aid for villagers. Where everyone was busy in getting food, Professor Fogli along with his volunteers was planting trees in the entire villages. While planting tree beside Abreta’s house Fogli saw water storing pot and said to Abreta, who were eating food: “May I take some water from it?” Abreta answered: “The water is full of impurities it will make you ill”. “If you know that the water you people are using is impure then why you drink it”, Fogli questioned. Abreta replied: “The only safe drinking water facility is situated far away from our village and the near ones have been dried up so helplessly we use this contaminated water for drinking purpose”. During all of this, Abreta as feeding her baby the milk she received in aid. Professor Fogli put the impure water from pot to two separate glass jugs. He then took some seeds out from his bag and asked Abreta to provide him a mortar. Abreta was watching the whole scene anxiously. Fogli made powder of seeds after pounding them and put some amount of powder in one jug before shaking it very well. On other hand he didn’t do anything with second jug. Fogli said to Abreta: “Now wait and watch, I am going out for planting in village and will return soon”. ‘Magic, Magic!’ Abreta astonishingly cried of despair at her doorstep. People were rushing toward her house as they listened her shout. She said: “The white man put some powder of any seed into this jug which has cleaned it while the second is the water we all drink in our houses”. Everyone in the crowd was perplexed about the happening and seeing each other astonishingly. Suddenly Professor Fogli arrived and said laughingly: “Look at the miracle of the tree. Its powder makes contaminated water clean and drinkable. I suggest you all to carry on such practice at your households so that everyone can drink safe water because most of the diseases occur due to drinking of impure water”. Villagers had got a bit back-up after eating food which they got in aid. Moreover, this miraculous incident of purifying water from seed’s powder melted their anger into calm towards Fogli. Fogli said: “As you sow the seed of this tree it will become a tree within a year or two. Nature has enriched enormous health benefits in every part of this tree which can’t be find in any other vegetable or fruit of this world. Its 50 gram leaf powder can fulfil every nutritional need of a human body because it contains variety of essential proteins, calcium, potassium and vitamins. Along with this it also contains anti germ elements which can resist against dangerous diseases like Cholera, Tuberculosis, AIDS, Diabetes, Cardiovascular disease etc”. The people were listening to Fogli’s lecture silently. He further said that “the tree has numerous powerful nutrients which could enable the weak people to regain their lost energy within few days of its use. Nature has kept various benefits in every part of this miraculous tree. Its leaves, flowers, seeds, pods, and roots are utilizable so do eat and make others mobilize so that as much as people can take benefits from this tree because its gift of nature for all of us”. An old aged man from the crowd said: “Professor, don’t make all of us fool. There are so many such trees in our village too. When it bears flowers, we cook those flowers and eat. Our forefathers were masters in making its sauce and other household recipes but they didn’t know anything about its benefits”. Fogli said: “Yes, you are right sir. African countries do have this plant in large quantity but people are not fully aware regarding the benefits of this tree. Where are those trees?” Fogli along with the crowd was following the old man, who had said that there are many similar types of trees in the village. They all suddenly stopped at a point. “Wow! That’s great. You people already have this miraculous tree in you village”, Fogli said happily. Professor Fogli’s way of talking started making people his admirers and now they all were listening him carefully. “Mix its leaves with other fodder of animals and let them eat that mixture. It will enhance their milking capacity and make then healthier” Fogli said. Villagers started following Professor Fogli’s instructions and their ancestor’s guidelines. They started using tree recipes in their daily lives. Unbelievably, within few weeks of its use, villagers became fond of the miraculous tree and in this result the health of people and their livestock started improving. Professor Fogli’s useful recipes like purifying water through its seed powder, making leaf powder and using its flowers for making food etc. had become the part of entire villager’s daily routine. This tree changed the life of Abreta, who was the first witness of the miracle of this tree. Her baby’s health started improving significantly. She too joined Professor Fogli’s team as volunteer and started preaching/sensitising people of her nearby villages about the miracle of the tree. Following Abreta’s footprints, people in hundreds started joining Fogli’s team of volunteers and disseminated knowledge among other community members in remote areas of Senegal regarding benefits of this tree. Plantation in villages was also the part of this campaign which had reenergized Senegalese. Within few months, Professor Fogli’s effort overcame the malnutrition issue from entire region. Resultantly, there was not even a single house in Senegal where this tree was not available. This was the incredible power of Moringa Oleifera tree which has been changing the lives of people all around the world. In Pakistan, no one can deny the vast existence of this tree but the awareness about this tree and its uses is desperately required so that the masses can b use Moringa tree recipes in their lives. The unique and significant work for safeguarding the environment of Pakistan by United Nations Development Programme UNDP’s Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme UNDP — GEF SGP is going on countrywide as the Operational Phase-6 has been kicked off with the same spirit and enthusiasm to provide every Pakistani a model environment where nature and people can feel each other without damaging anyone. This time Moringa plantation in remote regions of Sindh especially coastal belt areas of Sindh will be promoted where people in large quantities are malnourished. Mandhar Development Society (MDS) is implementing a UNDP GEF SGP funded project regarding promotion of Moringa enterprise for the better health of coastal communities in Sindh. The learning of this project will guide the government to replicate the same approach for the rest of the districts of Sindh and scale up the idea to the whole country. Pakistan can overcome malnutrition issue completely by introducing such type of beneficial projects for the deprived folks of the country who are in queue of hope to be healthy till the cows come home. The writer is a freelancer based from Badin and can be reached at abbaskhaskheli110@gmail.com Published in Daily Times, January 29th 2018.