Leprosy Village

 

This Tuesday afternoon I visited the Leprosy Village with Dr David Friend. We walked past the hospital, Kyakabuka church, across the soccer field, and 20 min on little dirt tracks. 

The village consists of about 20 little brick/concrete huts and grass shelters. With the village chairperson to interpret, we wound in and out of them, greeting each one in Kikaonde and distributing sugar and some medications. The village is exclusively for Leprosy sufferers and their families. In some the disease was manifest on the face,  flattening the nose, and in others they had shortened, worn down limbs.

It was so sad to see, but also inspiring because the people have learned to live with what they have, and still be productive. While most leprosy sufferers are completely dependent on their families - even to collect firewood for cooking the nshima - some have learned to make shoes out of old tires and other handcrafts. It's amazing!

Everywhere I go little African children follow me in fascination. I would have thought that with the large population of missionaries at Mukinge, I would not be such a strange wonder – but apparently it doesn't work that way! So after about 10 huts I am distracted and end up looking at the children and smiling and trying to play a game with them - something with beans and holes in the ground. I used my limited Kikaonde to find out their names and ask if they wanted to play, but the general lack of verbal response indicated I have some work to do on my pronunciation!