One of the ladies who works at the Solitude kitchen has a grandson who had contracted dengue fever, and the doctors were very concerned about his health. We packed her off with a sack of papaya leaves and she went to Chennai to the hospital where her grandson was admitted. There she made him a tonic (Kashayam) of the papaya leaves by chopping them up and boiling them in water. This produces a dark green bitter juice which helps increase platelets count* in the blood.

The doctors then requested her to make the papaya leaves kashayam for all the children on the ward. Within three days the children had been cured of their symptoms. This is the marvel of Mother Nature, and this is her blessing.

At Solitude we dry papaya leaves, powder them, and package the powder to sell. This powder has various uses and benefits:

Either for topical applications in a paste – to treat skin allergies, wounds, scars, blemishes, hair fall, dandruff, and fungal or bacterial infections of the skin;

It can also be ingested as a diluted juice – which is one of the best detoxifiers available – it cleanses your blood, improves its circulation, protects your liver and kidneys from inflammation, manages hypertension, diabetes, and several cardiovascular diseases!

A by-product such as papaya leaves illustrates to local farmers that they can create secondary incomes from the plants that reflect their cultural heritage. This profit more than its financial benefits, becomes a collective knowledge in a community.

When a society however, loses its cultural identity, common knowledge such as how to use papaya leaves, becomes appropriated by pharmaceutical corporations solely for financial profits.

*It is important not to take the papaya leaves tonic for more than a week as it thins the blood. Do consult with your ayurvedic doctor for quantities and frequency of use.