The Life-Saving Black History of Bananas

person stnading near vehicle holding banana
Adé Hennis
January 16, 2025

Well, dangerous might be a strong word. In 1879, c-sections were considered dangerous in other places, but not in Africa. A c-section in the Banyoro kingdom (now Uganda) was common and safe. And it all started with a banana.

First came the banana wine: The mother drank it for sedation, and the doctor used it as an antiseptic. This wasn’t monkey business though -- bananas have long been Uganda’s top staple crop, and banana wine has numerous medicinal uses.

The mother stayed awake but semi-conscious through the delivery. The doctor used a knife to deliver the baby and a hot iron to stop the bleeding. Then he stitched up the incision. Last he applies a vital herbal paste prepared by the community to stitches. Although the incision healed in 11 days, the community’s job wasn’t finished.

Ugandan women always ensured that pregnant people were well fed and that after the delivery, the baby was nourished until the mother started lactating. The doctor shared responsibility for the safe delivery of the child with the entire community.

The use of c-sections in Uganda is just one example of how unity and the ability to share our traditional gifts as a community not only preserves our history, but also protects Black life. We are each other’s safe keepers.

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