MISSION TO LEPERS

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31462, 31 August 1967, Page 7

MISSION TO LEPERS

Appeal Seeks $6OOO I* was hoped that about $6OOO would be received in the Christchurch area from the Mission to Lepers appeal Which began this month, the area' secretary (Miss M. G. Titheridge) said this week. Last year about $5OOO was collected. Miss Titheridge said that $2OOO from the appeal this year would be used to support the work being done in Tanzania by a former New Zealander from Waiau, Mr G. Hart. Mr Hart is the farm manager at an agricultural farm at Hombolo which has been built with the co-operation of the Church Missionary Society and the Mission to Lepers.

“There have been many difficulties at the farm because the only land the natives would sell for the centre was very poor,” said Miss Titheridge. “There are about 680 acres and of these about 180 have been cleared.”

The site had comprised fairly dense bush with a few clearings. Mr Hart built a five-wire, high-tensile steel fence round the property to keep out infected native cattle, but kudu (large protected buck) had broken the top wire, and African bush pigs had gone through and under the fence.

Miss Titheridge said that fencing was urgently needed for sub-divisions so that cattle could be grazed in paddocks; and to protect vulnerable crops from wild pigs. This would require, however, piping water some distance for cattle.

It would also be necessary to build stock yards and water storage tanks, and to break in more rough 1 ground for grazing.