How ‘Tafasa’ became relief for hunger, diseases amongst Yobe’s IDPs

For the internally displaced persons (IDPs) that returned to Boko Haram liberated communities in Yobe State, Cassia Tora, a plant that grows in the wild known locally as Tafasa, is medicinal and also comes in handy at a time when they have missed three or more years of the farming sason. The hunger-stricken returnees, who […]

For the internally displaced persons (IDPs) that returned to Boko Haram liberated communities in Yobe State, Cassia Tora, a plant that grows in the wild known locally as Tafasa, is medicinal and also comes in handy at a time when they have missed three or more years of the farming sason.

The hunger-stricken returnees, who largely depend on intervention from government and donor agencies for food, now eat the wild edible leaves of ‘Tafasa’ to survive.

The Daily Trust checks revealed that the consumption of the wild plant is on the increase as hundreds of people from the liberated areas of Gujba, Buni Yadi, Katarko, Ngirbua, Goniri Katarko, Kasaisa and Damaturu returned to their ravaged communities.

Musa Haruna, an IDP returnee in Buni Yadi, said that they are facing difficulty feeding their families, because many of them returned without means of livelihood and compelled to depend on Tafasa for survival.  

 He said: “Many people returned poor. We lost our sources of livelihood, and not even the government workers among us could feed themselves because of the ongoing ghost workers verification exercise in the state. We have no option than to eat what is available to us.

 “We do receive interventions from government, donor agencies and international organisations, but the interventions are grossly inadequate. It only sustains us for days. Sometimes it would not even go round. But, the ‘Tafasa’ leaves are evergreen and ready for us throughout the season.”

 He said the plant, which grows naturally in warm moist soil, is a source of medicine for some common diseases, though excessive intake makes people purge.

 “The plant is useful in treating common ailments like fever, body rashes, and constipation, especially now that medical facilities are not available in most of the communities,” he said. “We thank God for the unexpected gift because many people would have died of hunger.”

 He said that the wild plant is not new to people in the liberated communities, but the rate of its consumption suggests they no longer eat it for pleasure, but as a necessity. 

 Malam Mohammed Goni, a resident at Katarko, revealed that the `Tafasa` leaves are cooked as vegetable for people in the area, adding: “They eat the cooked leaves without ingredients like groundnut cake and oil. This usually causes some gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, flatulence and nausea.” 

Goni said that gastrointestinal complications may be partly caused by poor and unhygienic collection of the plant from the bush, where that many decomposed corpses were usually found in lush bushes where the returnees fetch the plant.

 According to some experts, the plant has medicinal value for curing many ailments such as leprosy, cough, bronchitis, cardiac disorder, liver, fever, pile and several skin diseases, while the roasted seeds are used as substitutes for coffee.

The acting Supervisor on Nutrition Programme, Medicines San Frontieres, Damaturu, Dr Saleem Halliru, said that the IDPs would not survive on eating “Tafasa” alone.

 “They need other sources of food like protein, vitamins, carbohydrates and other nutrients to survive,” he said. “The implication of eating the plant alone can cause deficiency in both adults and children.

 “The deficiency can cause malnutrition which mostly occurs in children from 6 to 59 months like kwashiorkor, and rickets. 

These are mostly as a result of deficiency in protein, carbohydrate and other nutrients. While in adults the deficiency can lead to bone diseases, dehydration and blockage of arteries supplying the heart muscle.”

 The Chairman, Gujba Local Government Area, Alhaji Kyari Batarama, said that the state government has been consistent in supplying food to the returnees.

 “They can only eat ‘Tafasa’ for interest, not survival. government has been supplying food to all returning communities in Gujba and Gulani without break” he said.

He called on the communities to appreciate efforts made by the government in resettling, feeding, and supplies of farm inputs to improve their livelihoods.

 Similarly, the epileptic pattern of rainfall at the beginning of rainy season and the recent floods reported in some parts of the state are said to constitute threats to food security in the area.