The Navenda Jiyan – The Centre of Life – was opened in Qamişlo in 2022 by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the Kurdish women’s movement. Navenda Jiyan literally means the center of life. This is because it is the place where life begins with nature – and where change for a new life also begins.
Outside is the heart of the Center. Here, the work revolves around the plants and the garden, which is lovingly tended with great care. People are at the service of the plants, which marks a new relationship with nature being established. The more effort and love that is put into the plants, the more they can be used for medicine. However, it is not about producing something, but rather about building a new life in a very practical way. The love for the plants is not based on anything artificial. It is based on a love for life and nature. Research into natural medicine began years earlier, and a great deal of experience and knowledge has been gathered, tested, and applied.
So while seeds grow, bloom, and dry outside, inside: medicine is produced. The rooms are filled with the results of everyone’s work. Capsules are produced, oil is bottled, and creams and ointments are made. Almost everything here is made from the Centre’s own garden. In addition to production of medicine here, sick people also visit the center. They are treated in the next room.
The medicine produced is mainly used for internal ailments: for everything except the heart and eyes. Unlike in Europe, more than just the painful area is treated, because the body functions holistically and so too does the medicine that is given.
A holistic view of the body helps to strengthen and defend it against disease. As well as providing medicine, the illness and the effects of the medicinal plant are discussed, massages are given, exercises are demonstrated, and nutrition is discussed, with patients.
As a result, naturopathy is recognized in society and people come throughout the day to be treated or simply to ask questions and discuss. Here, people are taught that nature is close to them, and their consciousness is changed.
