Leprosy Colony Abu Zaabal in Egypt

As this is an older post of mine that gets many visits I would like to add some notes today. People often ask me “How can I help?”.

Abu Zaabal is always happy to welcome volunteers of all sorts, medical professionals, social workers or simply people who could share some of their time to help patients or to renovate or repair facilities. Donations are also needed. Some of the medical equipment is really old like for example the x-ray machines and new ones are urgently needed. People who would like to help can visit Abu Zaabal, talk to the nuns there and find out which help would be useful right now. Contacting Caritas Egypt can also be an option.

On another note I’m looking for a possibility to exhibit these photos in order to raise more awareness. If some health NGO, cultural or art place or some company out there is interested in this kind of exhibition, PLEASE contact me.

HERE the story starts: Although leprosy is on the verge of extinction and many people totally forgot about this disease, there are still some leprosaria or leprosy colonies as they are often called. This is not a story about suffering and misery, but rather about a strange micro-cosmos, a place unknown to most people: the leprosy colony Abu Zaabal in Qalyoubiya, 40km north of Cairo. All tourists that fly into Cairo could see it from above as it is quite close to the airport if they would know that it is there. About 750 patients are still living there, and another 3,000-4,000 cured lepers are living in the adjoining Abdel Moneim Riad village.

© Claudia Wiens

The bacterium responsible for leprosy was discovered in 1873 by the Norwegian Dr Armauer Hansen, and a whole section in Cairo’s Agricultural Museum was dedicated to bacterial diseases like leprosy and tuberculosis. The display in the museum remains as if nothing had changed since.

 © Claudia Wiens

Until the 1930s, the illness was seen as uncurable and highly infectious. Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. In fact leprosy is not highly infectious, as approximately 95% of people are immune and sufferers are no longer infectious after only a couple of days treatment.

© Claudia Wiens

Abu Zaabal was built in 1933 encompassing a hospital…

© Claudia Wiens

…and agricultural land in order to be self-sustainable.

© Claudia Wiens

Lepers were brought in by police and were not allowed to leave for isolation was seen as the only treatment. It was a big open air prison. Circumstances back then were horrible with mice chewing away on lepers’ wounds while sleeping.

© Claudia Wiens

During the past decade Abu Zaabal received a total make-over and became a friendly, peaceful place with all of the necessary facilities.

© Claudia Wiens

When Dr Karam Shakshak and Dr Ahmed Al Thokaby, the recent director, arrived at the beginning of this decade they first renewed the water station as the whole place had no clean water at all. Now there is a waste water treatment plant on the grounds of the colony and provides the hospital with clean water.

© Claudia Wiens

Ibrahim, a cured patient operates the barber shop.

© Claudia Wiens

A little mosque is frequented a lot by everybody who can walk. A priest visits Christian patients regularly.

© Claudia Wiens

Prayer time in the mosque.

© Claudia Wiens

The colony has its own bakery.

© Claudia Wiens

What would be a micro cosmos without a coffeeshop? Radi, another ex-patient is managing the coffeeshop.

© Claudia Wiens

Nadia, his wife, a fragile and very sick woman, often gives him company.

© Claudia Wiens

Men playing domino outside the coffeeshop.

© Claudia Wiens

Three Comboni Sisters and two Elisabetine Sisters, two Italian orders, come every morning from Cairo-Heliopolis to Abu Zaabal to help the leprosy patients. Sister Vittoria (left) lives for 45 years in Egypt and works for 26 years in Abu Zaabal.

© Claudia Wiens

Abu Zaabal has a big section for men and a smaller for women because generally less women get infected by leprosy. There are bigger and smaller sleeping wards, where every patient has his/her own bed and cupboard. Most rooms have a TV as well.

© Claudia Wiens

Patients who lost their legs or parts of it get well fitting protheses and learn to live with them. Often it was impossible for me to differentiate.

© Claudia Wiens

All wards have their own kitchens where men or women cook together like in a flat share. But for those who are too weak and sick there is a big kitchen where healthy food is prepared for them.

© Claudia Wiens

Abdullah, also a cured leper, helps to distribute the food to the patients.

© Claudia Wiens

Abdullah also helps with cleaning.

© Claudia Wiens

Most mornings patients with open wounds come to the clinic to get their bandages changed.

© Claudia Wiens

In the old days patients received one bandage per month and had to wash it with unclean water every few days.

© Claudia Wiens

In the early mornings Ibrahim, also an ex-patient, helps changing bandages.

© Claudia Wiens

I was worried about taking photos while patients have their bandages changed. But unexpectedly I found a relaxed atmosphere. The guys were chatting with each other and even joking. It is part of their daily routine and they exchange news while a nurse cleans out their wounds.

© Claudia Wiens

As the nerves are often destroyed patients do not feel the pain, which can be very dangerous as they often do not notice infections or injuries.

© Claudia Wiens

The operation rooms got better equipment, especially for ear, nose and throat operations. And most importantly the hospital got a back-up generator after power cuts occurred during surgery causing a disaster.

© Claudia Wiens

In fact the hospital here is now better equipped and kept cleaner than many governmental hospitals in Egypt.

© Claudia Wiens

After helping in the clinic Ibrahim continues working in his little workshop where he fabricates special shoes for those who have deformations on their feet.

© Claudia Wiens

Six years ago Jehad, aka Manuela, a German woman who lives in Egypt for more than 20 years, turned the uncared of and full of rubbish grounds of Abu Zaabal into a paradise like garden.

© Claudia Wiens

A team of 13-15 men, all cured patients, are helping to keep the garden clean and beautiful. They receive a small salary for their work. Most ex-lepers, especially if they have deformations can’t find jobs anymore.

© Claudia Wiens

Ahmed Mohamed (49) is one of them. The disease started when he was 18, but like many others the doctor discovered very late that he was suffering from leprosy. In 1980 he came to Abu Zaabal and received Multi Drug Treatment (MDT) and was finally cured. He met his wife here, also a common story, and they have five healthy children.

© Claudia Wiens

Jehad does not only take care of the garden she also visits those patients who suffered so much from leprosy that they have to spend their lives in bed. Sheikh Sayed, 88, suffered from leprosy since he was six years old. But only when he had an eye operation at the age of 18 the doctor diagnosed him with leprosy.

© Claudia Wiens

For 63 years he lives now in Abu Zaabal, blind, with disfigured mouth and nose and limps. But he listens to the radio every day and is up to date with world news.

© Claudia Wiens

Despite his tough destiny he still likes to joke. “Hagiblik gateau?” “Can I get you some cake?” he said and giggled about his own joke when I was talking to him.

© Claudia Wiens

Gohari ,18, is the youngest male patient at Abu Zaabal. He finished his MDT treatment and now receives physiotherapy for his hands. Effective treatment for leprosy appeared in the late 1930s with the introduction of dapsone and its derivatives. However, leprosy bacilli resistant to dapsone gradually evolved and became widespread, and it was not until the introduction of Multi Drug therapy (MDT) in the early 1980s that the disease could be diagnosed and treated successfully.Belonging to the younger generation Gohari dose not want to spend his life in the colony but wishes to go return to Kafr El Sheikh, his home town, and continue school.

© Claudia Wiens

The older patients, who live 30, 40 years or even longer in the colony don’t want to return to their often rural villages.

© Claudia Wiens

In the past they were often stigmatized and had to live the lives of pariah. So they got married in Abu Zaabal, moved to the neighbouring village and made their homes here. Also nowadays the living conditions in Abu Zaabal itself are much better than in a rural poor Egyptian village where most patients come from.

© Claudia Wiens

He is visiting his grandmother and shows off some of his religious tattoos.

© Claudia Wiens

Many patients have old fashioned cookers and brew their own tea.

© Claudia Wiens

© Claudia Wiens

Cooking together comes often with little arguments about taste and ingredients. It reminded me very much of some of my own flat share experiences and arguments about who should cut the damn onions.

© Claudia Wiens

His father had just his second leg amputated. He was another case where leprosy was way too late in being diagnosed.

© Claudia Wiens

The about 55 nurses sometimes have exhausting days. Although many of those I talked said that they enjoy their work at Abu Zaabal. But payment is so low that some of them work at another hospital in the evenings.

© Claudia Wiens

About 120 women patients are living at Abu Zaabal, and about another 130 come here for treatment.

© Claudia Wiens

Saneya (85) lives here for more than 50 years.

© Claudia Wiens

Although she has deformed feet and hands she manages to walk around and prepare her own food. I had many funny conversations with here and couldn’t believe how lucid she is. She loves to sing, tease other younger patients and has a wicked humor. She kept nagging me to bring along my boyfriend to check him out.

© Claudia Wiens

© Claudia Wiens

Makhita

© Claudia Wiens

Nasra is another long time patient.

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This woman has no legs anymore and has to stay in bed all the time.

© Claudia Wiens

The women also have their communal kitchen where they can cook together while others opt to cook on a small stove beside their beds.

© Claudia Wiens

Cooking duties.

© Claudia Wiens

He and his wife come in daily to sell vegetables to the patients.

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Jehad shares some love and tenderness with Nadia.

© Claudia Wiens

Warda (80) lives there for 35 years and loves to listen to soap operas and music on her radio.

© Claudia Wiens

Some patients have their own little rooms.

© Claudia Wiens

Sister Laura is the only Egyptian nun at the colony and works here for five years as a nurse.

© Claudia Wiens

Every morning she visits all women, gives injections,…

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….cleans wounds,…

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…does check ups…

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….combs hair…

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… and consoles, laughs and jokes with them.

© Claudia Wiens

Everybody who is strong enough does washing, cleaning, cooking and helps those who aren’t. Life here is like in a big community, but somehow totally detached from the outside world.

© Claudia Wiens

Her nickname is Batta.

© Claudia Wiens

Even though life here is often very hard, patients like to have some fun together.

© Claudia Wiens

Visitors help to make time pass.

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Cat love.

© Claudia Wiens

As one of Abu Zaabal’s biggest donors Caritas Egypt founded in 1982 a socio-medical centre in adjoining Abdel Moneim Riad village. In their preschool/kindergarden they serve about 120 children of lepers and ex-lepers. The children learn reading and writing,…

© Claudia Wiens

….get one healthy meal including fresh milk.

© Claudia Wiens

And get to play in their new playground.

© Claudia Wiens

© Claudia Wiens

Dr Mona, the dermatologist of Abu Zaabal for more than 30 years comes three times a week to the Caritas Centre to treat children free of charge.

© Claudia Wiens

Parents often can’t afford to pay for a doctor.

© Claudia Wiens

Italian Sister Lina (88), as old as the oldest patients, is the coordinator of the Caritas Centre. It is more and more difficult to find young women who would serve as nuns for the leprosy colony or social work in general.

© Claudia Wiens

The center also provides women with courses in sewing. Some of  the products are later on sold at the center.

© Claudia Wiens

The one kilometre between Abu Zaabal and Abdel Moneim Riad village people walk or take pick-ups and microbuses.

© Claudia Wiens

Nobody knows exact numbers but approximately 650 families, up to 4000 people, live in this village.

© Claudia Wiens

Zeinab from Upper Egypt, is an ex-patient of Abu Zaabal where she met her husband. They settled down here, had three healthy children. Now Zeinab sells vegetables in the street in front of her house. Here she doesn’t have to fear from stigma and horrible comments.

© Claudia Wiens

Fresh milk for four Egyptian Pounds per litre is unaffordable for many people.

© Claudia Wiens

Many of the villagers remain dependent on the colony because of their deformations and receive necessary medications and support from it.

© Claudia Wiens

© Claudia Wiens

Doaa, 30, cured, also met her husband in the hospital and they decided to settle here after her husband worked in a cheese factory but got fired when they found out that he had suffered from leprosy. Now they have built a little house and she opened a grocery shop and is very proud that she can contribute to their living. The ultimate goal for leprosy patients in Egypt is to live a normal life in their communities, receive treatment there and go on with their lives.

© Claudia Wiens

Living in Abu Zaabal should only be a temporary thing, ideally only for the time of treatment. Returning to their original homes will hopefully be the future.