In August 2007 we visited Shimenkan.

Sammie insisted we visit Lush village—the isolated leper colony.

Lush village is a very special place, because it is the former leprosy hospital, where still lives in there 17 recovered patients and their families.

Old China in many areas, because of fear of leprosy, lepers were abandoned buried alive or even burned to death. Women mountain territory is of no exception.

When Samuel Pollard knew that, he wrote articles reveal it and called help for leprosy patients.

In 1920, 5 years after Pollard died of typhoid infection when in caring patients, Shimenkan finally saw the built of a leprosy hospital, which had specialized medical personnel to carry out leprosy treatment.  This is also the first specialized leprosy hospital the whole of China.

In 1988, Shimenkan medical aid post withdrew due to no new patient add in leprosy colony.  

In 1992, the location of leprosy colony and its nearby land was organized as a natural village, a beautiful name given as Liushu village (liushu literally means willow), but the local people still habitually call the village Leprosy Village, where there is a total population of 67, with 17 recovered lepers and their families, of whom five single elderly recovered lepers.  

This is the former leprosy hospital built in 1921, it is still being used today.

These are leper colony dorms built after the liberation. Though already be discarded as dangerous, there’s still people living there.

In 2005, Bright China Foundation donated Shimenkan leprosy colony dorm contribution, totally 20 flat rooms and 20 square meters each. Distribution principle is a family less than 5 people in one room, and more than five in two rooms.

If a 5-people-family including the old and young lives in one room, it’s obviously crowded, that’s why some people still move to live in the dangerous old dorm.

He is Wang Denghong, a recovered leper.

When he knew he had leprosy, he returned from the army, without a stop at home, directly to the Shimenkan leprosy hospital, he took with him a two-stringed Chinese fiddle.

Fortunately he was cured and married a healthy woman; his children were all very healthy.

She is Wang Denghong’s wife.

When he saw his own image in the camera, he laughed.

He is Song Kezhu, from Yiliang County.

He came to leprosy colony when he was 28. After recovery, for some period he went back home and lived with his son, but he came back soon. He said he was not accustomed there. He should mean to the outside fear and discrimination for leprosy patients. I didn’t ask more.

He lives alone in the room, mattress and quilt free.

He is near eighty. He planted by himself, the piled potatoes in the house are his annual food.   He says he is not strong now and can’t plant many as before. I ask if the food is enough,  he shows me his helpless in his smile.

Patients in Leprosy hospital were provided by the government and treatment free.

After leprosy hospital was withdraw and instead village established, everyone, including elderly and disabled people all got a piece of land and labored the planting by their own, starving is not rare considering unsufficient produce or short of money to buy food,  especially to the old and the disabled because of leprosy.   

Township government subsidies each leprosy patients monthly 25 yuan, but 6 month a given.

Most leprosy patients don’t have ability to find any other sources of income. Their life are completely trapped in the leprosy colony, barely survive.

All leprosy patients can’t afford medicine to prevent the sequelae of leprosy increased, but only allow the limb gradually shrinking to complete loss of function. 

He is Niu Shucheng, a cured laper. He is the head of Liushu village, and was also the first substitute teacher of Liushu village school.

She is a cured leper, who might have metal problem. Fortunately her lovely daughter is healthy.

This is a pair of lepers in front of their room. They are dumb, the wife has been pointing to me intending to tell me what, I don’t understand. I guess she may be complaining about anything.

The old man, there will be a lot of grievances. He tole me a lot when I was in his room. I didn’t understand and I was powerless. I left him away some money, though he insisted on no.

Social injustice the strong bullying the weak exist in all places.

He was very sad when telling his story, his hopeless tears also let me feel weak. However, when he sent us out, he still smiled.

Yang Guagnming, a devout Christian.

He was found leprosy when studied in Shimenkan School in 16-year-old, thus his days are restricted in leprosy colony. Because he was educated, he was assigned doctor assistant for 28 years, and was a register medical worker, in charge of leprosy hospital pharmacy and later leprosy out-patient doctor. 

However, after the leprosy hospital withdrawal, this experience is forgotten. He did great efforts, including dragged his incomplete body to 140-kilometers- away Weining Health Bureau, no avail.

Besides Yang Guangming, there are several elderly people have successively served as leprosy hospital medical assistants, but their experiences have been ignored.

Wang Dehua, he was found leprosy in 1992. Because he missed the best treatment period, despite cure, his extent of physically disabled are increasing, his limb severely shrinking and now can only crawl.

He works in a small coal mine. He said he would strive to drag the coal to make money, if he works two years he can earn 3000 yuan, so as for his old house to be repaired, at least it can survive in big rain not to be collapsed and life buried. He has to take care of his family every old and small. He is very optimistic. His greatest wish is to visit Beijing.

Lepers in colony, abandoned by the world, completely let nature run their course. They are suffering, they are optimistic.

Let it be, whatever it is, let it go.

Here, I study the ductility and tenacity of the life!

Lepers family members.

The girl, her parents are lepers, fortunately the girl is healthy.

I admire Cammie she can naturally embrace the girl while I can only summon up courage to hold their hands.

It’s Cammie who insists on the journey to Liushu village. Leprosy is to me no more than a remote noun which I only see in Bible, but here the world of lepers vividly live with me.

We happened to arrive at Liushu village on the open day of Fusheng School in Liushu village.

Formerly Liushu didn’t have school, kids here didn’t go to school, and they even seldom step out of Liushu village because of the outside fear and discrimination to leprosy colony.

In 2005, some Christians from Shenzhen donated to set up a primary school in Liushu village and named it Fusheng School, Fusheng literally means blessing voice. Each year the school opens only one grade, which grade a kid will study on depends on what grade the school that year is having. School is free of cost to Liushu kids. But the school soon closed because of teacher shortage.

In 2007 fall the school reopened. There are totally 30 more kids in Liushu and nearby villages study in grade one, age from six to twelve.

Now there’s a male substitute teacher who lives in Shimenkan Ronghe village, and everyday four hours double trip between home and school. Local church pays his salary from the donation fund, 400 yuan a month, local substitute teacher salary level is around 200-300 yuan.

We bring some Cartoon sticky paper to kids. But obviously children are more curious to blue-eyed, curl-haired Cammie than their like to sticky paper, one or two brave kids try to her hair.

The girl is twelve, she is in grade one

.

The boy is six, he is in grade one.

So funny she must think it a very serious thing to take picture, so she tries hard to hold back her smile.

The pretty girl is a leper’s daughter.

She never went to school. When asked why not go to school, she said formerly no school and now she too big and shy to sit with young kids. Asked if she would like to read, she said no idea and smiled away.

When we leave Liushu village, the teacher is teaching a song:

“I go to school, everyday not late …love study, love labor……contribute to the country after grown-up.”

There is education, there is hope!

Bless Liushu Village!

Postscript:

Since August 2007, we set up leper subsidy for 17 cured leprosy patients, 25 yuan every month all their lives. Shimenkan volunteer Ma Guirong visits them once two month and gives the subsidy.  

In December 2007, we sent into Liushu village a number of city-donated old winter clothing.

In February 2008, we sent volunteers to visit Liushu villagers suffering in Snow Crisis, and gave 17 cured lepers a big quilt for each.

http://www.shimenkan.org/corn/zzm/smk/

In March 2008, our volunteers work in Oxfam Shimenkan relief project and sent Liushu Oxfam rice aid. http://www.shimenkan.org/corn/gyh/smk/a/

In June 2008, we cooperate with Salvation Army in Shimenkan relief project and sent Liushu Salvation Army fertilizer aid.

http://www.shimenkan.org/corn/gyh/smk/f/

Featured: Documentary “out of leprosy colony”, revealing living conditions in Shimenkan leprosy colony, taken by Ms.Shen Hong and Mr.Jin Jun,

http://www.shimenkan.org/river/b/

Shimenkan Connections

Sijia

2009-1-6