00:06The trees in Sephora Osman Sisi's field are still quite small, but she's already
00:11harvesting the first foods. The noni tree grows quickly and can reach a height of 6 meters.
00:18It's actually native to Southeast Asia, but Sephora Sisi was so impressed by its qualities
00:24that she set up a 2-hectare plantation in Zegu, north of Mali's capital Bamakoa.
00:35The noni is a tree that causes no problems at all, and it bears fruit 12 months of the
00:41year, so we can harvest fruit almost every week or every fortnight.
00:49Sephora Sisi works with drip irrigation. The trees actually need very little water, making
00:54them perfect for Mali's dry, hot climate, and their irrigation is solar-powered. Noni fruits
01:01are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are used in traditional medicine and are
01:08said to have anti-inflammatory properties. They are also thought to lower blood pressure and
01:13strengthen the immune system. But beyond the health benefits, Sephora Sisi has a bigger dream.
01:21I want to help fight climate change and create jobs for myself and others. Growing noni helps
01:30to protect the climate because the tree has a high capacity to absorb carbon.
01:37Staff at her small company press the fruit by hand. The juice is then pasteurized and bottled.
01:43No chemicals are used either during cultivation or processing. Everything is completely natural.
01:50The market is still small. Noni is not yet very well known in Mali. Sephora Sisi is looking
01:57to change that. And at some point, she hopes to expand her business to neighboring countries
02:02countries so that Mali won't be the only place to benefit.
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