ÀWA means “Us” in Yoruba.

Why ÀWA exists

My grandfather was a medicinal farmer in my hometown of Akure, the capital of Ondo State, and many people there entrusted him with their health. They walked for miles to reach the acres of medicine he grew, and ended up leaving with a botanical remedy and the feeling of having been heard, something rare even in that day and age. I was three when we left Nigeria.

In Houston, I met a different kind of medicine. At twelve, painful, itchy patches spread across my skin. A dermatologist asked whether I played sports, decided skin-to-skin contact was the cause, and prescribed an antifungal cream for ringworm. It did nothing. Ten years later, another dermatologist asked about my work, my time outdoors and around animals, when the patches flared, and any allergies, and named it nummular eczema. Both were dermatologists. What separated them was time for a full history.

Not everyone gets ten years. In 2012, my aunt began having severe headaches that went on for weeks. My parents urged her to get a CT scan of her head, but there was no CT scanner in Akure at the time. She went to a local hospital, where she was admitted, given IV fluids, and discharged. Two days later, she collapsed and died. My family believes it was a ruptured brain aneurysm (a weak, bulging spot in a blood vessel that can burst and bleed into the brain).

I grew up between two medicines. One had time to listen but not always the technology to save a life. The other had remarkable technology, but the clinicians who use it are often given too little time to ask how their patients live and what they have access to. I became a biomedical engineer, and now I am a naturopathic medical student, because I want to bring the two together.

My grandfather had the time.The hospitals had the technology.My aunt needed both.

ÀWA exists because the knowledge my grandfather carried is too often dismissed as having no evidence, and the people it belongs to are too often told to leave it behind. Here, I set that knowledge beside the research and say what holds up, what has never been studied or has limited research, and what simply does not. Every research claim is cited, so a physician, a student, or anyone curious can check it for themselves.

If you have ever been told the remedy your family swore by was only superstition, or left an appointment with more questions than answers, this is for you. If you are the clinician who wishes you had more time to ask how your patients live, this is for you too. Here you will find what the research says about the medicine so many of us grew up with, in words you can carry into the exam room, whichever side of it you sit on.

Pull up a chair. We have a lot to talk about.

How we got here

1. 2021ÀWA MarketplaceA curated marketplace of clean personal care products from Black-owned brands, built to reduce customers’ exposure to a long list of chemicals of concern, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates, parabens, and many more. A certified cosmetic chemist on retainer gave partner brands expert formulation guidance.
2. 2026The ÀWA CollectivePeople did not need another product. They needed knowledge. ÀWA stopped selling and became a free, fully referenced publication on indigenous and traditional medicine. Every article grades its evidence, explains it in plain language, and flags safety concerns, so patients and clinicians can make informed decisions together.