Center of Excellence on Ageing

I'm applying for the Elevate Prize is for the purpose of establishing an Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] that is to preserve the Medicinal Plant knowledge of Indigenous Cultures of our Forefathers through Documentation, Exchange of Information and Preservation of Habitat to keep the diversity of this knowledge available for future generations to come.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Indigenous Medicine

This type of medicine is defined as Indigenous Medicine and “explores the medical institutions and the manner in which peoples cope with illness and disease as a result of their cultural perspective” (“Indigenous Medicine”). Preserving traditional medical practices should therefore be of great importance to Zambia.

If selected as a winner, I would use the Elevate Prize funding to establish a programme that will empower over 2 million Indigenous People and support to advance my work collection, processing of quality pure natural medicines that will be used in the treatment of chronic diseases like Diabetes, Prostate Cancer, Fibroids, Epilepsy and many others. Over 20.000 Older Persons above 65 years will be incorporated in IMPP leading to the protection of the Biodiversity as more indigenous plants will be planted for future use.

The IMPP concept was started 20 years ago by me Dr.Oliver Mupila and discovered thousands of medicinal plants and knowledge of indigenous cultures from the Ten[10] Provinces of Zambia. 

The Zambian Indigenous Peoples represent living libraries of Medicinal Plant knowledge that are being lost as they merge with modern society. Each culture contains a unique system of medicine with different degrees of emphasis on the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of healing.The young people who would normally continue this living link as apprentices to the ‘medicine people’ of these cultures have been abandoning rich knowledge of their ancestors in pursuit of foreign cultures, leaving the elders with no one to teach.

Oliver Mupila is an Author, Health Care Provider [Geriatrician], Environmentalist, Human Rights Defender, Development Strategist and founder of the Centre of Excellence on Ageing an Initiative of the Zambian International Health Alliance of which he is the CEO. Was the first Zambian to set up an organization to advocate against Elder Abuse called [Afro-Elder International] that pushed the Chiluba Government in the late 90’s to come up with the International Day of Older Persons, which is celebrated in Zambia every 1st October.He has written over 2000 articles on Ageing, with an interest in Biodiversity, Conservation and Sustainable Development Research of which some have been featured in several local and International Electronic and Print Media, including The Times of Zambia, Zambian Daily Mail, among others. He is the author of a number of African short stories and has composed over 40 Reggae beats which reveals several interesting Anti-Political songs, GBV, Peace opportunities, and inspiring democratic thinking that can be imparted into the younger generation for a better Zambia and Africa. Lived and worked in the United States of America [USA] for over Ten [10] years as a Development Consultant and a Plant Medicine Scientist, who has been doing research on Indigenous Plant Medicine from 2000 to 2020, after interacting with Thousands of Indigenous Tribal Elders.  Studied in Austria, Denmark, Malta and the USA.

Lives in Lusaka and is an Indigenous Lunda from Village Kameya of the Chibwika Chiefdom of the Lunda Empire, in Mwinilunga North-Western Zambia.

The Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] is Zambia’s first project an Initiative of the Center of Excellence on Ageing [CEA] established by Dr. Oliver Mupila -HRD that is going to deal with the Preservation and Production of Indigenous Medicines and Indigenous Knowledge countrywide. The Indig5nous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] will facilitate dynamic Herbalists and other Indigenous People to unlock their potential for growth by providing meaningful, economic, social, empowerment herbal and Knowledge Preservation Schemes and actionable advice through a broad range of services.

The Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] will provide various capacity building programmes to Herbalists that best suit the Indigenous People, other traders, small scale farmers and agro-dealers, street vendors and those who will be involved in services such as Herbal brokerage, transportation of herbs and merchandise from Herbalists  to   the IMPP.

It is against this background that The Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] has taken up the challenge to apply for a Grant for the Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge and Medicine ,Brokerage and procurement of state of the art Herbal Medicine Processing and Packaging Equipment, Containerized Storage Facilities for all Indigenous Medicines collected and documented from around the country, that includes those involved in services such as transportation of herbs from Herbalists  to the Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] Central facility.

The Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] will offer Extension Brokerage Services, Herbal Inventory Financing -- which includes merchant services and a Herbal Repurchase program -- and a transportation group that can help facilitate the movement of Herbs. The Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] will act as an intermediary that connects all involved all Indigenous People  in herbal dealing to facilitate transactions.

Our undertaking will create a ready market for Herbalists and the Indigenous People and provide resources to others with Herbal Knowledge who shall use Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] to procure other Herbal inputs at Village, National and International levels.

Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] will provide market linkages through brokerage that will benefit Indigenous Herbal Dealers. Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [MPP] will also provide Herbal Market Intelligence. This will enable supply of quality, consistency and quantities herbal products required in line with building Productive Alliances and Indigenous Herbalists Supplier Development Programs. 

Brokerage will integrate Community emerging Indigenous Medicine Herbalists into value chains by improving the capacity to finance and execute productivity enhancing investments and respond to the requirements of the main end markets and major buyers. We are aware that the Productive Alliance Model will bring together three core players: a) Indigenous Producers b) Buyers and c) Public Sector through ‘matching’ of off takers with aggregated Herbalist Groups.

Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] will work with over Ten Thousand [10,000]local  Herbalists   and the Indigenous People , which are often located in Thousands of Villages and urban areas such as Lusaka the capital city of Zambia,Livingstone,Solwezi, Chinsali,Chipata,Mongu,Mansa,Kasama Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi, Ndola, Kitwe, Mufulira and Chingola which are near railway hubs to make trade easier.

Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] will sample Indigenous Medicine, inspect for quality and store in brokerage containers. Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] will in turn meet with people who want to share Herbal knowledge, providing them with access to the sample and negotiating a price which will be amenable to both parties.

Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] will work closely with a wide range of Indigenous Medicine Herbalists on both sides of the cash Herbal supply/demand equation to create mutually beneficial transactions. This will help establish regular, long-term relationships between Indigenous origination and community or international-based customers.   

The Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP] Herbal Brokerage Programme will integrate emerging Herbalists into value chains by improving on the products and the capacity to finance and execute Herbal productivity-enhancing investments in Communities and respond to the requirements of the main end markets and major buyers. We are aware that the Productive Alliance Model will bring together three core players: a) The Indigenous Medicine Preservation Project [IMPP], as the Producers b) Herbalists as the Dealers and c) Public Sector as the Buyers or Clients through ‘matching’ of off takers with aggregated Indigenous Medicine Herbalists Groups and Communities across the Nation.