nazareti leprosy Centre

The Nazareti Leprosy Centre:

This is a hospital for people suffering from leprosy and also acts as a centre for outpatients coming for treatment against leprosy. It has an excellent reputation built on many achievements since the 1950s. The Matron was Sr. Maria-Paula who guided and enlarged the centre over 52 years. After we commissioned the bakery in 2001 we were told they were caring for well over 100 outpatients. We left money with the Matron to provide daily bread for the resident patients. Later we received a thank you note from Sr.Maria-Paula to let us know how much the daily bread for the hospital's patients is appreciated.

She wrote this on the back of a card that carried Helen Keller's thought provoking words: "I cried because I had no shoes, when I saw a man who had no feet."

During a visit in 2006 we learned that the resident patients had dropped to 40 which was excellent news. They continue to receive their daily bread and they are so grateful when it reaches them with a cup of sweetened tea in the morning after the drugs have been distributed and the dressing of wounds has taken place.

The centre continues to receive around 100 outpatients on a daily basis. As many who are visually affected with leprosy could not return to their families or tribes, the Nazareti Centre has provided sheltered accommodations for them. They visit the Centre as outpatients but when they are well they are still allowed to stay in their new homes.They provide income by using their skills which enable them to achieve some independence. Every other week they gather in the court of the Centre and receive some 'Free Bread' together with some sugar and tea. We witnessed this very happy throng as they received their bread. Their gratitude is so overwhelming.