For Jean Abou, our fantastic Field Representative in West Africa, moringa has been a part of life from the beginning. As his knowledge of moringa has grown over the years, so has moringa’s importance in his life.
Jean recounts, “When I was a child, my mother used to prepare moringa sauce like spinach [overcooked so it loses its nutrition]. We had no idea about its benefits. But in 2010, during a training session in sustainable agriculture by Mercy Ships Africa, Jean-Claude the missionary added new things to my knowledge. But it wasn’t enough.”
In 2014, Jean was working as the Agricultural Officer at YWAM’s University of the Nations in Noèpé, Togo. He had planted many moringa trees, knowing something of their value. That May, Strong Harvest Peer Educator Ralph went and trained our first group of Peer Educators in Togo, which included Jean Abou.
Jean explains, “It was Strong Harvest’s Peer Educator training that completely opened my eyes to moringa and all its virtues. At the end of the Peer Educator training session hosted by Ralph, I received materials with which I could train others. It was the trigger; in the days that followed, I started training my family and close relatives. This is how the great desire to share my knowledge with other people sprouted in my heart.”
Since then, Jean has been training people nonstop! His wife, Olga, joined him, and they now teach about moringa all over Togo, and even in the neighboring countries of Benin and Burkina Faso.
Jean and his family (pictured below) have personally benefited from moringa’s powerful nutrition. Jean says, “We experience the benefits of moringa every day in our home. My wife Olga was cured of several illnesses such as pain during menstruation and problems caused by menopause. She had a lot of discomfort in her body, but by using the moringa powder she is released from all these things.
I myself have been cured of sexual weakness with moringa. Moringa has also helped me to have healthy skin.
Also, a few months ago, I felt some discomfort in my body: chills, body aches, and others. My doctor thought it was malaria, but the test showed otherwise. My doctor no longer knew what to do. I left him and resorted to moringa. I mixed the powder with a little honey and water which I took every morning. After a little over a week, this disease disappeared from my life. Glory to God who used this product which cost me nothing to cure me!
In short, the general health of the family has improved.”
It has been a delight for Jean and Olga to witness the positive impact of moringa on people they have trained.
Jean shares, “Olga and I witness daily the joy of Peer Educators who have put the training into practice and have had good results, healing, and daily life improvement through the sale of moringa products. We have immense joy as we share with villagers the benefits of moringa. These trips allow us to meet people who are forgotten by the great projects of the country. And our arrival at their place encourages them a lot.
What gives us more joy is that we have become missionaries who also share the gospel throughout our travels.
Olga and I love this job, which is why we do research every day to supplement our knowledge to give more possibilities to future Peer Educators.”
Jean and Olga are grateful to be connected to Strong Harvest.
Jean summarizes, “Strong Harvest International with God and Moringa, have given us physical, moral, and financial health. Before, I had a lot of problems meeting the needs of the family. But by what we earn each month, part of the needs are covered.
I am convinced that it was God who used Rick and Jeri to found this organization to heal those who are sick and those who are hungry to earn their daily bread.
That’s why I say A BIG THANK YOU, AN INFINITE THANK YOU to all those who directly or indirectly contribute to the smooth running of this organization. On behalf of the whole family, once again I say THANK YOU.”
Jean and Olga have trained over 1,000 Peer Educators in West Africa!
Thank you to our supporters who make their work possible!
Rick and Jeri, and the Strong Harvest team
More from Strong Harvest:
Moringa Tree Research
Our website contains links to a wealth of research on the many benefits of moringa.
Dive deeply into moringa studies!