Honoring The Grandmothers Who Healed Us

March is Women's History Month, and at Lakay Goods, we want to honor the women who are often forgotten in history but never forgotten in our communities; the grandmothers and mothers who could cure a fever with nothing but leaves from their backyard.

The phrase "Famn se poto mitan" (Women are the pillars of society) highlights the essential role women play in Haitian households, economy, and community stability, often bearing heavy responsibilities. The truth is: without Haitian mothers and grandmothers, Haitian culture as we know it wouldn't exist.

They are midwives, herbalists, mentors and protectors. They kept our families alive when doctors were inaccessible, unaffordable, or simply didn't care about Black lives. This Women's History Month, let's celebrate the women in our lives who whispered remedies in Kreyol, who brewed teas at dawn, who carried botanical wisdom in their hands and hearts. 

The Role of Women in Haitian Herbalism

In Haitian culture, women have always been the primary healers. Women were responsible for:

• Treating illnesses in the home
• Assisting with childbirth
• Preparing herbal remedies
• Passing down knowledge to daughters and granddaughters
• Caring for the sick, elderly, and children

In a society that often marginalize women, herbal knowledge gave them authority. In their communities they are respected, sought after, and essential. People came to them when they were desperate, when nothing else worked, when modern medicine failed. 

She didn't need a degree. She had something more valuable: ancestral knowledge passed down through generations of women.

She didn't advertise. She didn't have a storefront. Word of mouth was her credential. If you were sick, someone in your family would say, "Go see Madame So-and-So."

And she did.

Herbs Haitian Women Used for Women's Health

Since women were the primary herbalists, they developed deep expertise in herbs for women's health. Here are some traditional herbs used by Haitian women healers:

1. Congo Beans (Fey Pwa Kongo)

• Uses: Tones the uterus, eases menstrual cramps, supports fertility, strengthens the body during pregnancy
• How it was used: Brewed as a daily tea for women of childbearing age

2. Chamomile (Kamomin)

• Uses: Calms anxiety, reduces menstrual pain, aids sleep
• How it was used: Evening tea for relaxation, especially during menstruation. This is the reason we added it to our KALME blend!

3. Ginger (Jenjanm)

• Uses: Eases nausea (including morning sickness), reduces inflammation, warms the body
• How it was used: Fresh ginger boiled into tea, especially for pregnant women

4. Sweetsop (Kachiman)

• Uses: Regulates menstrual cycles, reduces heavy bleeding, soothes heimatic pain
• How it was used: Added to teas or used in bathes (bain fey)

5. Clove (Jirof)

• Uses: Relieves gas and bloating, supports lactation, eases menstrual discomfort
• How it was used: Brewed into tea, especially for new mothers. Some women choose to just chew on them, I would not recommend this personally because of the strong taste. 

6. Bitter Orange (Fey Zoranj Sur)

• Uses: Calm nerves and has sedative properties to help treat insomnia.  
• How it was used: Tea for menopausal women. Bathing babies heads when they have congestion, or postpartum bathe treatments for new mothers. 

These herbs weren't bought from a store. They were grown in the backyard, bought at the local Mache, foraged from the mountains, or traded between neighbors. Herbal medicine was community medicine.

The Healers in My Family: A Personal Story

I grew up surrounded by healers/herbalists but I didn't fully understand the power of fey te until I got older. I'm eternally thankful to have a gran, a mother and aunts, that knew exactly what to do when I had a stomach ache, I had a cold (Cerasee//asoci with a pinch of salt, which later became KANPE), or I had trouble sleeping.

Idelia, my nanny when I lived in Haiti, was from Jeremie and she was a fountain overflowing with remedies. When my sister had migraines she brewed teas to help relax her and go to sleep. I remember one time I had a "stomach bug" that lasted for weeks, they called it "ke tonbe". She gave me what felt like everything under the sun. No one could figure out what was wrong, but she did not give, she was the only one equipped to heal me.  

My aunt Guillauna is the OG tea drinker in my family. At the age of 30 I still raid her house for tea every time I visit. She is the first person I saw combining Chinese Traditional Medicine with Haitian ancestral formulations. It wasn't one culture over the other for her, it was about accepting that we are all here on this planet to heal one another. It's opened my eyes to a whole new way of looking at ancestral medicine and until this day I am always looking to learn remedies from other cultures. 

Herbal knowledge has survived through women. 

How to Honor Haitian Women Healers This Month

This Women's History Month, here are ways to honor those who healed us:

1. Ask Your Elders

If you have Haitian grandmothers, mothers, or aunties still living, ask them about the herbs they used. Record their stories. Write down their recipes. This is living history, don't let it disappear.

2. Learn One Traditional Remedy

Pick one herb above or remedy and learn its story. Try making it yourself. Teach it to someone else.

3. Support Women-Owned Herbal Businesses

Buy from women herbalists, especially Black and Caribbean women. Your dollars support the continuation of this tradition.

4. Grow a Healing Garden

Plant herbs your grandmother or mother used. Even one pot of mint or lemongrass connects you to generations of women before you.

5. Share Their Stories

Post about a woman healer in your family. Tag @lakaygoods. Let's flood social media with stories of the women who kept us well.

Lakay Goods: Built on Women's Wisdom

History often forgets the contributions of Black women, immigrant women, and poor women. But in our families, in our communities, in our kitchens—we remember. This Women's History Month, let's honor the Haitian women who kept us alive, kept us well, and kept the knowledge alive.

Mami, Gran, Tati Mèsi Anpil! Thank you.

Shop Our Herbal Teas → [Link]

Who's the woman healer in your life? Share her story with us @lakaygoods. Let's celebrate the women who kept us well.

Keywords included: Women's History Month, Haitian women, women healers, manman fey, herbalism, women's health, menstrual support, hormonal balance, traditional medicine, Black women, Caribbean healing, ancestral knowledge