Zimbabwe’s
Mutemwa
Leprosy
Care
Centre
is
home
to
34
patients
living
with
an
array
of
deadly
diseases,
such
as
AIDS,
as
well
as
mental
and
physical
disabilities.
The
center
is
supported
by
the
John
Bradburne
Memorial
Society,
founded
in
memory
of
the
missionary
from
the
United
Kingdom.
In
addition
to
a
clinic
staffed
around
the
clock
with
nurses
and
professionals,
the
center,
in
Mutoko,
Mashonaland
East,
located
in
the
eastern
province
of
Zimbabwe,
has
single
rooms
scattered
throughout
its
property.
Patients
without
disabilities
reside
in
the
center’s
adjacent
homes
with
their
families.
Bradburne,
a
lay
member
of
the
Third
Order
of
Saint
Francis,
spent
many
years
traveling
and
searching
until
he
finally
discovered
where
God
wanted
him
to
be
—
living
alongside
leprosy
patients
in
Mutemwa,
Rhodesia
(modern-day
Zimbabwe),
a
place
he
assisted
in
transforming
into
a
peaceful,
joyful
and
loving
community.
Not
long
after
arriving
in
the
country,
Bradburne
revealed
to
a
priest
his
three
wishes:
to
be
buried
in
the
habit
of
St.
Francis,
to
die
a
martyr
and
to
help
leprosy
victims.
He
was
first
brought
to
the
Mutemwa
Leprosy
Settlement,
located
about
90
miles
(143
kilometers)
northwest
of
Harare,
by
the
Jesuit
missionaries.
He
became
its
warden
after
arriving
at
Mutemwa
in
1969.
For
10
years,
he
helped
those
afflicted
with
leprosy
by
feeding,
tending
to
and
washing
those
in
need,
keeping
watch
over
them
during
their
illnesses
and
burying
them
when
they
died.
Leprosy,
an
illness
that
dates
back
to
ancient
times,
is
a
chronic
infectious
disease
caused
by
a
type
of
bacteria
called
mycobacterium
leprae.
The
disease
predominantly
affects
the
skin
and
peripheral
nerves.
Left
untreated,
the
disease
may
cause
progressive
and
permanent
disabilities.
“His
unwavering
devotion
to
providing
the
residents
with
loving
care
ultimately
led
to
a
falling
out
with
the
management
committee,”
said
Runesu
Maguraushe,
a
theologian.
He
said
Bradburne
was
later
fired
because
he
refused
to
lower
the
patients’
already
meager
nutrition
and
refused
to
place
dehumanizing
number
tags
around
their
necks.
“Then,
he
resided
outside
the
leprosy
compound
in
a
prefabricated
tin
shack
without
running
water
or
sanitary
facilities.
He
then
carried
on
doing
everything
in
his
power
to
assist
the
leprosy
sufferers,”
he
added.
John
Bradburne
dedicated
his
life
to
helping
lepers.
(Photo
courtesy
of
the John
Bradburne
Memorial
Society)
In
1979,
during
a
civil
war,
Bradburne
was
abducted
and
killed.
After
his
death,
the
center
was
given
to
the
Catholic
Church
to
run.
The
Franciscan
friars
were
called
by
the
church
to
intervene
and
oversee
the
community’s
spiritual
well-being.
Since
then,
the
community’s
mental
and
spiritual
health
have
been
given
upmost
importance
in
tandem
with
medical
care.
As
a
result,
the
center
has
become
a
beacon
of
hope
to
those
condemned
by
the
society
due
to
their
ailments.
The
community
at
Mutemwa
depends
entirely
on
the
kind
donations
made
by
pilgrims
and
the
assistance
it
receives
from
funders
to
sustain
its
mission
and
necessities
such
as
medicine,
food
and
clothing.
Leprosy
is
once
again
becoming
more
prevalent
in
Zimbabwe.
If
caught
early,
the
disease
is
completely
treatable.
Every
patient
at
the
center
receives
individualized
treatment
and
a
separate
living
space.
The
settlement
has
a
managerial
group
of
Franciscans
with
trained careers
and
nurses
also
onsite.
Globally,
there
are
still
250,000
new
cases
each
year,
according
to
the
U.S.
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention,
and
countries
with
weak
health
care
systems
are
most
vulnerable.
In
Zimbabwe,
a
country
burdened
by
extreme
poverty
and
a
crumbling
health
sector,
concerns
have
started
to
grow
that
leprosy,
which
spreads
via
respiratory
droplets,
could
be
making
a
return.
Every
year,
thousands
of
committed
pilgrims
—
some
2,000
in
all
—
make
the
trek
on
Sept.
5,
the
day
Bradburne
was
murdered,
to
spend
time
at
Mutemwa
and
ascend
Mount
Chigona.
The
place
is
where
Bradburne
spent
time
caring
for
leprosy
patients.
As
the
pilgrimages
has
continued
over
the
years,
a
call
was
slowly
heard
for
the
Vatican
to
recognize
Bradburne
in
an
official
way.
Bradburne’s
cause
for
beatification
is
now
well
on
its
way.
The
Vatican
has
officially
decreed
to
start
the
procedure
that
would
lead
to
his
canonization
as
a
saint.
Based
on
its
shared
Franciscan
charism
“Well4Africa,”
a
decision
was
made
in
2021
to
provide
funding
for
the
water
project
at
the
Mutemwa
Leprosy
Care
Centre
and
to
guarantee
a
consistent
supply
of
clean
water
to
the
local
community.
“Zimbabwe
experiences
harsher
summers
and
more
water
problems,”
said
Tariro
Hudini,
a
community
member.
The
entire
Mutemwa
community
depends
on
this
reliable
and
permanent
supply
of
fresh
water.
The
borehole
project
helps
34
patients,
17
impoverished
individuals,
four
Franciscan
friars
and
24
staff
members
and
their
families.
Eremenciana
Chinyama,
who
serves
as
presidency
councillor
of
the
Secular
Franciscan
Order,
said
the
patients
and
the
surrounding
community
at
Mutemwa
are
guaranteed
nutritious
meals
due
to
the
water.
“Employees
who
had
been
tasked
for
a
long
time
with
getting
water
to
feed
and
tend
to
the
patients
may
now
concentrate
on
making
sure
the
people
under
their
care
receive
high-quality
treatment,”
she
said.
“In
a
place
like
Zimbabwe
where
water
can
be
scarce,
particularly
during
the
summer,
having
a
dependable
source
of
water
from
the
borehole
is
vital.”
Father
Tawanda
Chirigo,
who
serves
as
national
spiritual
assistant,
visited
Mutemwa
for
a
final
evaluation
of
the
project.
“We
can
only
hope
that
the
project’s
outcome
will
please
our
father,
St.
Francis
of
Assisi,
who
lovingly
cared
for
lepers,
and
our
brother
John
Bradburne,
who
loved
Mutemwa
so
much,”
he
said.
Calvin
Manika
is
an
award-winning
international
journalist
based
in
Zimbabwe.
Post
published
in:
Featured