April 2008

Dear Friends,

 I am pleased to invite you, or representatives from your organisation, to the following seminar in Natural Medicine in Angola:

August 17th (supper) to August 24th (breakfast), 2008
Guest house of IDA (Instituto do Desenvolvimento Agraria)
Town: Chipete, Municipio: Kuito.

You may use public transport starting from Luanda or flight from Luanda to Kuito und then public transport (30km) to Chipete.

More information from Angelika Martiny, Email: a.martiny at gmx.de, living in Kuito,
Margarete Roth, Email: margarete at nexus.ao, Tel: 00244-923-789969, living in Luanda,
or Marianne Holzmann, Email: marianne.holzmann at gmx.net, living in Germany,
Tel: 0049-1577-1766369 (mobile)

Tutors: Marianne Holzmann and Angelika Martiny with national experts.

Remark for participants living outside of Angola: You need to allow at least 2 months when applying for a visa from your embassy.

Language: Portuguese

After the seminar, the participants will be able to recognise at least 20 medicinal plants, to use and construct a solar oven, to produce different soaps, different medicinal oils and ointments, black stone for snake-bites.and, most important, will be able to treat  malaria effectively with medicinal plants like Artemisia annua, and will get seeds and learn how to grow this delicate plant..

The cost: For people living in Africa (Africans or expatriates) 250 Euro. For people coming from outside Africa: 500 Euro. The fee includes food and accommodation, tuition, and all materials used during the seminar, which include books, paper and pens, plant material and materials for preparing medicines

Registration: Please write to A. Martiny or Marianne Holzmann,  (emails above).
You may pay directly on arrival in Euro, USD or local currency (no cheques!)

The following are important aspects of our seminars:

• Our emphasis on working at the grass-roots, encouraging and supporting local people in developing and extending the skills they already have.
• Encouraging traditional healers and formal health workers such as doctors and nurses to work together. We help them to recognise the positive contribution that each makes, and encourage them to work out practical ways in which they can cooperate.
• By introducing Artemisia annua, enabling healers, pastors, missionaries and health workers to become much more independent and successful in their treatment of malaria.
• It is important that all participants have a commitment both to practising what they learn and to teaching others.

It must be made clear to all prospective participants that:

• participants receive no fees for their attendance.
• transport costs must be met by the participants, their employer or sponsor.
• all participants will work together in practical work and in establishing a garden. They must bring suitable clothes with them for such activities.
• participants must attend for the entire programme; to come only on some days is not acceptable
• only those participants should attend who have already demonstrated a willingness and ability to pass on their knowledge and skills to others, and who would be willing to conduct a similar seminar in Natural Medicine themselves, at least for a weekend.
• those participants who are Christians should bring with them a Bible. (every day starts with an ecumenical devotion, participation in that is voluntary)
• all participants should bring plant material of five medicinal plants from their region.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Hans-Martin Hirt