For a long time, periods have been a taboo topic in many societies around the world. Information about menstruation has and continues to be shared in hushed tones or secretly amongst women, rarely in public forums. This has created a culture of shame and stigmatisation, inhibiting opportunities for collective education regarding female reproductive health.
More so, the complications associated with female reproductive health fail to be seen as a major issue and as such are under-diagnosed, under-funded, and under-researched. In fact, when women report their menstrual or reproductive health symptoms, they are dismissed and told they are being hysterical.
Menstrual complications and illnesses such as endometriosis affect approximately 190 million women, which is around 10% of the female population. The cause of this disease remains unknown, while its cure is yet to be determined. The case is similar for other diseases such as PCOS, uterine fibroids and adenomyosis, to name a few. So, what is the answer for the many women around the world who suffer in silence?
Harriet Ng’ok, a Kenyan finance consultant, was one of the women looking for a solution to her endometriosis. She tried visiting gynaecologists, took up yoga, and even became a vegan, all in the name of alleviating her pain – but nothing worked. The pain continued disrupting her life.
Keen to find a solution, Harriet turned to her roots and explored traditional herbal remedies. This was how she came to know and understand the capability of Arorwet. It changed her life: her pain was alleviated.
Understanding that she was one of many women with this challenge, she was determined to help others like her. In a leap of faith, she left her job at Goldman Sachs and started her own company, Harriet’s Botanicals, in 2018. Harriet’s Botanicals is a health and wellness company focused on the production and sale of African herbal medicines.
Arorwet was among the traditional medicines that helped Harriet launched her business. Named after an indigenous Kenyan tree, Arorwet is a concoction that improves and ensures women’s menstrual and digestive health. It is made using eight different indigenous herbs and works as a hormone balancer, pain killer, infection treatment, decongestant and fertility and libido booster. Before packaging, she worked with the University of Nairobi’s Pharmacognosy and Pharmacology Department to test the concoction and formulate it. She thereafter patented the recipe and was certified as a herbal practitioner by the Ministry of Culture.
Since 2018, Harriet’s Botanicals has collaborated with local Kenyan communities and herbal practitioners to ensure the sustainability of the production process, and build a cultural archive on Kenyan medicinal herbs including Arorwet (Ekerbegia carpensis) and Tendwet (Prunus africana). They currently have three products: Arorwet, Tendwet – for men’s reproductive health, and Sagawaita – for respiratory health. On social media, the company has attracted over 80,000 followers and continues to grow as a trusted business both locally and internationally for reliable African herbal medicines.
Interested in these #KeDawas? More on this on Harriet’s Botanicals.