As part of my work with HHA I made four trips to Malawi to teach homeopathy to a group of pastors and health care workers. This started as a way to spread knowledge of how to use Jeremy Sherr’s AIDS epidemic remedies which were so successful in Tanzania but grew and grew. The group we teach are pretty dedicated and diligently use all the information we give them. Because they are surrounded by people who don’t have much access to health care they end up treating serious illnesses. For instance they have had startling results with epilepsy.

For a homeopathic remedy to work well it must suit the individual it is prescribed for. One epilepsy remedy will not suit everyone with epilepsy and in some cases will not help the person at all. The students in Malawi only had one epilepsy remedy. With a certain portion of epilepsy cases they had great success but could not help others.

Last June we taught them other epilepsy remedies. This seems so simple, such a small act. It took me a week to write the booklet on epilepsy remedies and a week to teach it but the students in Malawi have turned it into incredibly real help for many people suffering from epilepsy.

Cicuta virosa is one of the remedies we taught. Even as I taught it some of the students recognised the symptom picture and knew of patients this remedy could help. One nurse in particular knew it was going to help the babies on her ward; babies with nervous systems so wired and sensitive that even a loud noise could set off a fit.

There is huge pleasure for me in putting this sort of knowledge into the hands of someone who knows where to use it. It is why I teach fever remedies to parents, labour remedies to midwives, it is why I teach.