The documents in this collection are from the Archive Center of the Sudan Interior Mission in the USA (now called Serving In Mission) received through the Sudan Interior Mission’s Head Quarters in Ethiopia. They are in the possession of Mr Mesele Terecha Kebede.
[These Sources Basically Deal with the Leprosy Control Work in the Southern Provinces of Ethiopia Under the Auspices of the SIM from its Base at Kuyera Leprosarium in the Period from1947-1976.]
Report on the American Leprosy Missions’ (ALM) aid to Leprosy work in Ethiopia from the inception of the work from the construction of the Ethiopian Imperial Government’s central leprosarium at Addis Ababa, the Princess Zenebework Leprosarium, on November 8, 1932 to the late 1940s, and the beginning of the Kuyera Leprosarium. The document also explains the joint venture of the Ethiopian Imperial Government, the SIM, and the ALM in establishing the Princess Zenebework Leprosarium and the situation of the Leprosarium during the Italian occupation of the country in the period between1936-1941.
Letter from the Public Health Department, the Ministry of Interior to the Reverend C. Gordon Beacham, Deputy General Director, SIM, Addis Ababa regarding the Ethiopian Imperial Government’s agreement to offer 10 gasha (400 hectares) of land free of all duties to the SIM for the purpose of constructing a leprosarium in the most fertile area of the country, Arsi Province, as compensation for the Princess Zenebework Leprosarium. (22 September 1947)
Letter from Mr. Glen H. Cain, SIM Field Director in Ethiopia, to the Vice Minister of the MOPH stating the agreement of the “American Mission to Lepers” to contribute a sum of US dollars 5,000 (Eth. Birr 12,500) for the construction of a “Leper Colony” in the southern part of Arusi at Kuyera and urging the Ethiopian Imperial Government to offer the land free of taxes and rents and asking the Ethiopian government to cover the subsistence allowance of Eth. Birr 0.50 cents per day per patient, and supply drug and cattle to the newly constructed Kuyera Leprosarium. (12 May 1948)
Letter from Mr Glen H Cain, SIM Field Director in Ethiopia, to Vice Minister of the MOPH stressing the revision of the building and maintenance fund of the Kuyera Leprosarium from Eth Birr 12,500.00 to Eth Birr 66,820.00 as the number of leprosy patients to be admitted increased tremendously. (23 July 1948)
Report from Mr Glen H Cain, SIM Field Director in Ethiopia, to the MOPH on the survey of the Alaba and Shashemane areas in search of a suitable site for the for the proposed “Leper Colony”, and location. (4 July 1949)
Letter from Mr Glen H Cain, Field Director of the SIM in Ethiopia, to H E of the Minister of the MOPH reporting the commencement of the construction of the “Leper Colony” at Shashemene and requesting the government to transfer Eth Birr 11,670.00 upon its agreement necessary for building operations. (4 May 1950)
Report from Mr Borlase, Field Secretary of the SIM in Ethiopia to H.E the Minister of the MOPH on the progress of the construction of the “Southern Leper Colony” of the SIM of which the construction of the leprosarium was affected by the illness and subsequent retirement of Mr. Cain. (19 March 1951)
Report on the “Southern Leper Colony” for the period of September 20, 1951 to October 31, 1951. In his fist report, immediately after the inception of the Southern Leprosarium, Mr. Donald Gray emphasized how the one hundred leprosy affected in mates of the Leprosarium were kidnapped from the Princess Zenebework Leprosarium and transferred to the Southern Leprosarium with detailed explanations of their deplorable health, medical and material status at the newly constructed Leprosarium. The report also stressed the beginning of leprosy medication using DDS and the development of reactions against the DDS treatment by some the inmates of the Leprosarium. (31 October 1951)
A monthly report on the activities of the “Southern Leprosarium” for the period from December 1, 1951 to December 30, 1951 by Mr. Alan A. Neal, Acting Administrator of the “Southern Leprosarium”. The report emphasises the visit of Emperor Haile Sillassie I accompanied by the royal family and eminent government officials. It also discusses the increasing escapes from the Leprosarium and the recurrent and escalating quarrel amongst the inmates of the Leprosarium. (31 December 1951)
A general report on the leprosy control activities of the “Southern Leprosarium” and the situation of leprosy patients in the Leprosarium presented by Mr. Donald W. Gray, Administrator of the “Southern Leprosarium”, to Dr. Mustafa Kamal, Representative of the WHO. (28 April 1952)
Agreement between the SIM in Ethiopia and the MOPH concerning the establishment and running of mobile leprosy control services in the southern provinces of Ethiopia such as Bale, Sidamo, Gamo Gofa, and the Southern parts of Showa and Arsi. (16 November 1971)
Letter from Dr. John B. Cumbers, Director of the Shashemene Hospital, to H E the Minister of the MOPH regarding increasingly insubordinate activities and manners of the workers of the Hospital towards the missionaries which was compelling them to leave the Leprosarium and to interrupt their work. (25 October 1975)
Report from Ato Mlatu Boffa, Officer of the “Southern Leprosarium”, to the Showa Provincial Health Office explaining the cause and course of the deplorable relations that were prevailing between the Sudan Interior missionaries on the one hand, and the inmates of the Leprosarium, the workers of the hospital and the surrounding people on the other; he recommended possible solutions for the improvement of such deplorable relations. [N. D]
Entry made March, 2007