Reference no: EM1373144

Traditional herbal medicinal used in the management of sexual importance in Marakwet East.

1. THE PROJECT SUMMARY

This project will basically be dealing with the current much debated contribution of traditional herbal medicinal a medicinal supplement to treat various elements. This includes its importance as a source to boost reproduction for the community especially parents who are married ready to have children. The main idea is to identify this indigenous herbal trees and shrubs , their uses, propagation methods and how to incorporate them as Agro forestry trees and shrubs that can be grown as medicinal herbs. This will be done by use of questionnaires, extensive research on earlier works on the same in form of literature review, consolidating the data gathered from the interviews, and exposing it to statistical analysis using SPSS (statistical package for social science ), t-test will be used. Data will be presented inform of tables, graphs, percentages and frequencies. This will lead to discussions on the finding and comparisons to other earlier finding and comparison to other earlier finding by renowned authorities on the subject matter.

2. INTRODUCTION

The Kenyan vegetation supports a broad range of biodiversity that constitutes supporting system for the rural population through nutrition and medicinal care. This study will be guided by the theory of wild trees may supply medicinal cure that are very important for health growth.

The problem majority of African population is poor and ravaged by treatable diseases but cannot afford modern medicine. Traditional medicine, mainly herbal, has been substantially managing African health but it is under threat. Medicine plant knowledge phyto-medicines rely on two elements, plants (of which over 60% are perennial trees and shrubs).

Herbal medicine relying on wild plants collection is not viable because biodiversity in Africa is threatened by agriculture, urbanization and forest below 10% in many countries- 1.7% in Kenya at present, with increasing trade and use, medicinal plants resources depletion is abundant and incorporating in Agro forestry has been recommended as a possible solution but that is very easy for herbs (annuals) if appropriate germplasm and products markets are accessible.

The utilization of ethnobatanical indigenous knowledge is vital in male sexual reproductive health care delivery in Marakwet east. Reproduction health care is the second most prevalent health care problem in Africa. However, this concept of reproductive health care has been focusing mainly on women disregarding men. Thus, some diseases such as sexual importance that deserve mention are regarded as petty though importance. In economic productivity, family stability and sexually transmitted diseases control including HIV/Aids.

3. JUSTIFICATION AND SIGNIFICANCE

Increasing pressure on the wood resource has severely affected the abundance and diversity of indigenous herbal medicinal trees. Deforestation has not spared the multipurpose tree species for example herbal trees and hence there is need to increase indigenous tree numbers, divessity and put in place a rational management system for the same. Limited attention has been paid to the fact that trees supplement household diets, income and increase availability of useful tree products. Despite the importance of indigenous herbal trees in the area, no research or extension efforts has been made to commercialize them and bring them into wider cultivation and markets.

There is growing importance of herbal trees as of fruits especially in time of drought which are frequent. It is hoped that fruits from herbal trees in Agro-forestry systems will increase household incomes and improve health of local residence in the area, as well as environment conservation.

4 OBJECTVES

5 BROAD OBJECTIVES

The broad objectives of this study are to:
-Document medicinal plants used in the treatment of sexual importance disorders in Marakwet east.
-Identify the species of indigenous herbal trees available, order of preference their uses and abundance.

(a) SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of the study includes:-
-To identify indigenous herbal trees in the area and farmer preference for the same.
-To find out if there is ecological stratification in the growing of the herbal tree species in the Location
-To identify the various uses of identified trees
-To identify niches where they can be introduced in Agro-forestry system and which niches are Are preferred.

6 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS/RESEARCH QUESTIONS.

The two hypotheses null and alternative will be used.
HA: Indigenous herbal trees have various uses a part from herbal provision
HO: Indigenous herbal trees do not have various uses a part from herbal provision
HA: Different indigenous herbal trees can be introduced in different Agro-forestry system
HO: Different indigenous herbal trees cannot be introduced in different Agro-forestry system
HA: Farmers prefers certain indigenous herbal trees than others
HO: Farmers does not prefer certain indigenous herbal trees than others
HA: Ecological stratification influences availability of indigenous herbal trees
HO: Ecological stratification does not influence availability of indigenous herbal trees

7 EXPECTED RESULTS

The expected results include identification of varies indigenous herbal trees, shrubs and lianas that farmers may incorporate in Agro-forestry systems. Also identified various uses of the indigenous herbal trees and their preference will enable famers to grow and manage their desired species. In their farms this will be aided by the identified ecological niches, after ecological stratification. This will lead to domestication of indigenous herbal medicinal trees, shrubs, lianas, with potential herbal production, through continual awareness creation, education and research on the potential species, thus improving farmer's nutrition contribution and economy through sale of herbal medicinal trees and thus income to the farmers that will assist in poverty alleviation, and environmental conservation.

Thirty-three medicinal plants used in the management of sexual importance will be documented and citropsis articulate and cola acuminate are to be among the highly utilized medicinal plants.

8. THE AREA OF STUDY AND METHODS

This study is to be carried out in areas in and around Tot Division and some other parts of the sub-county centre such as Chesio, kapsowar and kapcherop. The sampling sites are to be located in within the division around the biosphere reserved and in the selected reserve. These includes:- Kipsero, Kapkau and other villages within my reach.

The study is to be conducted between Januar2014 -to - March 2014 in Marakwet East.

The medicinal Ethnobotanical indigenous knowledge will be collected by visiting tradition healers and documenting the medicinal plants used and other socio cultural aspect allied with sexual importence. The methods to be used is collection of relevant information regarding the medicinal plants includes informal and formal discussions, field visit and focused semi-structured interviews.

To collect this data, indirect asking of questions and investigations that do not refer or offend anyone are to be used since nobody especially men can say openly that they have this problems. These methods including visiting the traditional healers to document the indigenous knowledge (IK), regarding medicinal plants used, gender and social cultural aspects and where the plants are harvested.

The informal conversations are to be held with the specialist resources users and other knowledge able people on particular ailments. The meeting places are the gardens, women group meeting at their homes and any other places convenient to them. Through conversations, the sources of knowledge of the healers on medicinal plants are to be established. Those who are more knowledgeable are later followed and interviewed further especially the TBs and some knowledgeable men healers.

Focused discussions are to be held with them later for formal recording. In some instances, young mothers are to be visited too. This is done to verify the information gathered and the spread of the indigenous knowledge (IK) in reproductive health care among the different reproductive groups particularly on sexual importance management.

Semi-structured interviews and discussions are also to be held with the specialist resources users and other knowledgeable people on particular ailments by use of interview schedules for each respondent. Interviewed people are mainly the herbalist (both men and women). In this selection of some extent, ethnic groups are recorded where possible because different people use the some plant differently. The time and place of interview are to be arranged according to the schedules respondent. Depending on where the interviews and discussion are held, recording is done immediately or afterwards or appointments are made for more details in a more convenient place arranged with the respondent. Key information are identified and later interviewed separately and even followed for further details.