Problem of leprosy control in Harrar Province, Ethiopia.

When Has Makonncn, father of the present emperor of Ethiopia, was governor of Harrar Province, he donated, in 1901. a piece of land for a leprosarium for the Catholic Mission just outside the city walls of Harrar. French Capuchin fathers collected some 80 leprosy patients and looked after them. Since real treatment was not poss ible in those days, it was more a work of charity than medical aid. They were joined in 1930 by a French doctor, the famous Dr. Feron. Since that time nobody speaks about leprosy treatment in Harrar Province, or even within the whole empire, without mentioning his name. Dr. Feron was the first medical doctor in Ethiopia who dedicated his life to the poor leprosy patients. His work was interrupted by the Itali an occupation and World War II. H e died in 1965 in a Paris hospital. It was the great tragedy of his life that he could not breathe his last among his patients, and that he was buri l'd far away from Harrar. T en years b efore Dr. Feron's death he was visited by two young Germans. One of them, Fr. Recke, at that time a student of th eology and now an army chaplain, had seen a report about Dr. Feron on a news reel, wrote him letters, and finally decided to see him personally. Vlhen he noted the pove rty of the St. Antoine leprosarium, as the Mission officially called the place (people call ed it "Ganda Feron" ), he decided to raise fund s to hclp the needy patients and the dedicated doctor. Returning to Germany the two travellers collected so much mon ey that they found ed an association, which they named "Hilfswerk Dr. Feron". It was renamed later as the "Delltsches Aussatzigcn Hilfswerk" ( German Leprosy Relief Association). Since the flow of money did not stop , not only was Ganda Feron supported , bllt also it \vas decided to found a new leprosarium which would not be so close to H arrar. It was intended to