African women, mother earth, and education on indigenous healing during pandemics: A case study of the Ndau in Chipinge, Zimbabwe

Women have been associated with the provision and sustenance of life. Women’s fertility is linked and likened to the fertility of Mother Earth. Globally, the burden of caring for family members and friends is shouldered by women. In Southern Africa, women and girls bear the brunt of care work. Literature on indigenous health practices by African women is scarce, even though they are the custodians of caregiving to the sick in their homes. In Africa, indigenous remedies are part of the cultural and religious. The wide-spread use of indigenous medicine is attributed to its accessibility and affordability. The purpose of this study was to undertake a systematic review of the use of indigenous medicine and indigenous foods to address ailments related to pandemics such as Covid-19 by Ndau women in Zimbabwe. Through the Africana Womanist Theory as lens, the study adopted a qualitative case study and purposively sampled Ndau women as participants. Data was gathered through interviews, focus group discussions and individual narratives of their experiences in caring for the sick during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study established that Ndau women depend on the provision of Mother Earth to care for the sick in their households. Ndau women cherish the availability of rich medicinal herbs within their homeland, and the herbs proved to be a divine providence in situations where financial resources to access modern health care facilities are scarce. The study recommends a greening socialisation that fosters a caring environmental ethic for the sustainability of nature.