Umbaki Leprosarium

Opening of the refurbished accommodation block at Umbaki Leprosarium

Community Shield Azerbaijan (Baku) was formed by a group of volunteers who had been privately assisting at the Umbaki Leprosarium for some time. Our initial aim was to improve the living conditions of the patients at the Leprosarium, and throughout 2003 we have worked on a number of projects to this end.

Refurbishment complete!
In September 2005, refurbishment of the last of the residential buildings at the Umbaki Leprosarium was completed. The proceeds of the BP Leadership Team Beer Pull, and a donation from Eran Muduroglu enabled us to transform an old, draughty building into a residential block providing apartments consisting of a sitting room, bedroom, shower room, and kitchenette for seven couples.

New accommodation at Umbaki
On the 3rd July 2004, a newly refurbished accommodation block at Umbaki was opened by Uschka Dunbar, one of the founding members of Community Shield Azerbaijan (Baku). The refurbishment, made possible by generous support from The Irish Society, The Anglo-Azeri Society, and the BP Baba Dağ Team, was performed by local builder Rafut Abasov, and provides decent accommodation for some of Umbaki's least mobile residents.

The event was tinged with sadness, as this was Uschka's last visit to the leprosarium. Uschka was one of the first people to establish contact with the leprosarium many years ago, and has been helping them ever since as a co-founder of CSA (Baku).

New buildings at Umbaki
In March 2003, five converted shipping containers, donated by USAID, were handed over to the Director of the Leprosarium, providing the residents wth a laundry, shower room, rest room, barber shop, and morgue.

Handover of the converted shipping containers

In September 2003, two more converted containers, donated by EUPEC, provided the Leprosarium with laboratory and pharmacy facilities, as well as a comfortable isolation ward.

A Poet is Published
A typewriter was donated Mahmud, a gentleman poet and patient at the Leprosarium. His poems have since been published by BP, and all funds raised from the sale of his work will directly benefit the Leprosarium.

Mahmud, the poet resident at the Leprosarium

We continue to supply the Leprosarium with bandages, cotton wool, and other medical and non-medical supplies. Donations to meet these expenses, which amount to about $500 each quarter, would be gratefully received.