Proposal

Vietnam is a tropical country that is native to a wide range of nutritious herbal species. However, due to rapid urbanization, some species are on the edge of extinction as their habitats are gradually disappearing. Hoa Binh is a mountainous region in the Northwest of Vietnam, rugged mountains, sparsely populated, and is home to many rare medicinal plants. Among them is the “cây lá khôi”(scientific name: ardisia silvestris) , originally a native species of Northern Vietnam. This is a herb that has evolved specifically to life under the canopy of dense old forests. Therefore, it needs a lot of moisture and cannot tolerate direct sunlight. Adding to that, the tree’s leaves hold healing effects for stomach diseases, so people would pick and use it to the point that the species can no longer reproduce fast enough to sustain itself. As a result, in 2007, the Vietnamese Government officially recorded the name of the “cây lá khôi“ into the Red Book – prohibiting any form of collecting, or habitat destroying that may affect this plant in the wild. During the process of researching gastric reflux disease, my group wanted a way to preserve and develop this plant, and at the same time process it into a delicious type of tea that is healthy, and can help those suffering from reflux. Furthermore, this production process could help many ethnic minorities living in underdeveloped mountainous areas to have stable jobs. Hoa Binh is a place with harsh natural conditions, with conditions from the four seasons all visible in a single day. At noon it can be as hot as 40 degrees Celsius, yet at night the temperature suddenly drops down to 13 degrees. There are 4 seasons in a year, with wide temperature fluctuations between 40 degrees in the summer, to freezing 0 degrees in the winter. The climate and farmland are divided by small hills and mountains, and the land is never flat, making farming or raising livestock difficult. At the same time, depopulated areas have no means to develop industry and services, so there are few jobs and the people are severely underpaid. When we succeed in developing and implementing the cultivation method for medicinal herbs under the forest canopy, people will be able to plant “lá khôi” tees directly under natural forests or planted forests of other tree species. The process of creating and maintaining
the planting area will help many people have jobs, income, and a stable life. Not only that, but many forests would be retained to create canopy cover for the “lá khôi” trees and thanks to that, the coverage area of the forest is protected, all while facilitating economic development, fight poverty and repel diseases. Our project’s realization helps planting trees, creating forest canopy, preserving upstream rivers, keeping the soil moisturized and sufficiently nourished, and preserving natural conditions. All of which play an important role in the fight against climate change.

After growing medicinal plants, our project involves processing them using traditional medicine recipes. Thanks to the simple processing methods, completely without the use of chemicals and preservatives, we have created medicinal herbal tea that is effective in overcoming reflux diseases and supporting natural recovery, providing our customers with a satisfactory experience, and a healthy stomach. One person’s smile can lead to another, making a not only happy, but healthy community.

Our project focuses mainly on growing medicinal plants in the mountainous region of Northwest Vietnam and processing them into herbal tea as well as health support products. Our business activities contributes to creating new and sustainable jobs for the indigenous ethnic minorities, developing native medicinal plants and cultivating them under natural forest canopy, which as a whole add to preserving the biodiversity of our planet and limiting climate change.

Environmental pollution and life pressure could cause people to suffer from more and more diseases related to the stomach and metabolism. According to the source at “https://goldenhealthcarevn.com/cham_soc_khach_hang/cac-con-so-dang-bao-dong-tinh-trangbenh-ly-ve-da-day-o-viet-nam/“, Vietnam currently ranks 18 of the countries with the highest rates of stomach cancer in the world. 26% of the population suffers from peptic ulcer disease. Among them, patients with gastric reflux symptoms are becoming younger, on top of increasing in number. The main cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease is a disorder in the regulation of gastric juice caused by chronic stress. While Western medicine applies precise science and technology to treat diseases at the point of discomfort, it does not provide the disoriented body any after service to help it rehabilitate. Meanwhile, traditional Eastern medicine takes balance as its root. Therefore, for diseases originating from imbalance, such as nervous disorders and gastric juice system malfunction, using herbs prepared by traditional methods are more effective.