Anju (1st left), community development worker, introduces Marion (3rd left), Morgan (4th left) and Kenna (3rd right) to leaders of the local community organisation.

A Missionary's Legacy

Wednesday November 26 2014

The Leprosy Mission Scotland was founded in 1874 by a Church of Scotland missionary, Wellesley Bailey.

140 years on, the present chair is a Church of Scotland member, Marion Francis. In September, Marion was invited to attend The Leprosy Mission Global Forum in Delhi, and decided to take her two eldest children, Kenna (15) and Morgan (13) with her.

It was 37C – over 100F – when we arrived in Delhi, and we were immediately hit by the heat, the sounds, the smells and the buzz of the city.

The scale of the city is overwhelming. It has a population of over 12 million, which makes my home city of Glasgow feel like a small town by comparison.

Delhi is a rapidly growing and developing capital city, but in the centre is the old town with its narrow, overcrowded streets, and its spice market, full of stalls piled high with baskets of fresh spices – turmeric, chilies and garlic. What wonderful aromas! The other smell that was prevalent came from the fragrant frangipani bush which was in bloom.

The purpose of our trip was to take part in the inaugural Global Leprosy Forum, 'Healing, Inclusion, and Dignity’. The meetings marked the 140th anniversary of The Leprosy Mission, and it was amazing to be able to celebrate this occasion in the country where Leprosy Mission founder, Wellesley Bailey, was first inspired.

Wellesley Bailey was a lay-missionary with the Church of Scotland, who went to India in 1869 and saw the devastating effects of leprosy and was determined to raise awareness of the plight of people affected by this cruel disease. On his return, he and his wife, Alice, established the mission and raised funds to support hospitals and projects in India and worldwide.

The Wellesley Bailey Awards were presented at a big celebration event at which people from over 20 different countries were present. The award honours people who have had leprosy and have overcome enormous challenges to make significant contributions to society. One of the winners this year was Mr Shehu from Nigeria. He was an inspiring and exuberant man, but in the past, he had suffered muchdiscrimination because of his leprosy. Mr Shehu had been excluded from school and from taking up further education and employment. (A world away from the opportunities enjoyed by Kenna and Morgan at Jordanhill School in Glasgow!)

However, with the support of The Leprosy Mission, Mr Shehu is now a community leader, Chairman of IDEA, an international association for people affected by leprosy, and the proud father of 11 children!

A highlight of our trip was our visit to The Leprosy Mission hospital in Shahdara. For the past 30 years it has treated patients with leprosy, working in the communities around the hospital. There are currently over 10,000 people around Shahdara who have leprosy.

Although the hospital was busy when we arrived on a hot Monday morning, and the reception area was full, there was a feeling of calm and order. Alongside multi-drug therapy, intensive care, and physiotherapy, the hospital also provides protective footwear, and we saw how long it takes to fit a shoe that is just right for each individual. The shoes or sandals have a very hard sole to protect the foot from further damage. There is also an optician’s room, where patients can have eye tests. Eye problems are one of the symptoms of leprosy, and it is important to detect them early to prevent blindness.

We also met Anju and her Community Development team. Anju is based at Shahdara Hospital, but works in the local community. We were able to go out with Anju and meet local women who have established a community-based business. These women were making small tubs of scented Vaseline and floor polish, which they sell to fund community projects.

So what did we learn from our trip to India? More than anything it has reinforced for us that leprosy is a poor person’s disease. It is the poorest of the poor who succumb to this terrible condition. And if the disease itself were not hard enough to bear, the stigma that accompanies it often destroys people’s hopes and dreams of a normal family life. Attitudes to leprosy do not seem to have changed much since biblical times.

But we also saw how lives are being transformed by the support of The Leprosy Mission. The Leprosy Mission would not have started without the generous support of the people of Scotland, and 140 years on, our support is still essential.

To find out more, visit www.tlmscotland.org.uk or phone 01786 449266. You can donate today by texting HEAL19 £5 to 70070.

This is an abridged version of a feature in December's Life and Work. Subscribe here.