Landipokki leprosy colony (2003)
General information
The Landipokki settlement has been founded under Dutch government before 1945. When the settlement of Teppo in the neighbouring district of Majene became too overcrowded to allow further admission, this second settlement was meant to provide a place to stay for the people affected by leprosy coming from the mountains or often from other districts.
In that time, the village was much bigger than nowadays, and it was much better organised: the government had trained inhabitants to become health staff, so they could partly treat themselves. Nowadays a lot of the cured people have left the settlement. However, about 70 people affected by leprosy are still living in Landipokki, of a total number of inhabitants of around 150 people. The healthy inhabitants (80) are the children, grandchildren -in some cases with their wives and husbands from outside- of the people affected by leprosy.
The area of the village is about 3.5 hectares large and surrounded by rice fields and small plantations. The villages in this region are like small spots in between these fields, without a direct neighbourhood; therefore Landipokki is isolated from the world around, the distance to the next village is about two kilometres. Only recently the stony road to the settlement has been made passable for cars. The town of Polewali is 35 kilometres away.
The houses in Landipokki are the usual traditional wooden houses on poles, most of them in bad condition. 48 families are living in 33 houses, meaning that some of them have to share their place. Electricity is not available due to the isolation of the area. An irrigation system for the rice fields is profitable also for Landipokki, as one of the small channels leads through the village. The district wasor helped to install toilets and facilities for clean water with his own means.
Half of the people affected by leprosy of Landipokki live from begging in Polewali or other towns; other sources of income are small rice fields and gardens, as well as an installation for making bricks, though the latter does not bring much profit because of a lack of demand.
The leprosy affected long-term inhabitants of Landipokki have all finished their treatment, but still newcomers are arriving from time to time (once a year on average), seeking treatment while staying in the settlement. They are coming from distinct regions in the mountains, or from other districts in the attempt to hide their disease for their families and friends. Some of them go back after treatment, others stay. To move to the settlement does not require any administration or permission; it is enough to report to the head of the village only. Newcomers stay with one of the families first, later they may build their own house. People who leave Landipokki are mostly the healthy children of the people affected by leprosy.
Landipokki is the responsibility of the district government of Polmas (Polewali-Mamasa). The government does not provide any support for the inhabitants. Only during the time that Dr. Rasydin, who today is the director of the leprosy hospital at Daya / Makassar, was head of the district health department; an amount of Rp 150.000 was divided under the people affected by leprosy every three months. Besides that, in 1996 the social department provided 16 new houses, and in 1999 the installation for brick making.
Medical services
In Landipokki no health facilities are available. A small building for social activities was constructed some years ago with the help of the district wasor, but it is unused, empty. Once a month a team from the responsible health centre (the juru, nurses and a midwife) visits the settlement for general health
care.
The Landipokki settlement has been founded under Dutch government before 1945. When the settlement of Teppo in the neighbouring district of Majene became too overcrowded to allow further admission, this second settlement was meant to provide a place to stay for the people affected by leprosy coming from the mountains or often from other districts.
In that time, the village was much bigger than nowadays, and it was much better organised: the government had trained inhabitants to become health staff, so they could partly treat themselves. Nowadays a lot of the cured people have left the settlement. However, about 70 people affected by leprosy are still living in Landipokki, of a total number of inhabitants of around 150 people. The healthy inhabitants (80) are the children, grandchildren -in some cases with their wives and husbands from outside- of the people affected by leprosy.
The area of the village is about 3.5 hectares large and surrounded by rice fields and small plantations. The villages in this region are like small spots in between these fields, without a direct neighbourhood; therefore Landipokki is isolated from the world around, the distance to the next village is about two kilometres. Only recently the stony road to the settlement has been made passable for cars. The town of Polewali is 35 kilometres away.
The houses in Landipokki are the usual traditional wooden houses on poles, most of them in bad condition. 48 families are living in 33 houses, meaning that some of them have to share their place. Electricity is not available due to the isolation of the area. An irrigation system for the rice fields is profitable also for Landipokki, as one of the small channels leads through the village. The district wasor helped to install toilets and facilities for clean water with his own means.
Half of the people affected by leprosy of Landipokki live from begging in Polewali or other towns; other sources of income are small rice fields and gardens, as well as an installation for making bricks, though the latter does not bring much profit because of a lack of demand.
The leprosy affected long-term inhabitants of Landipokki have all finished their treatment, but still newcomers are arriving from time to time (once a year on average), seeking treatment while staying in the settlement. They are coming from distinct regions in the mountains, or from other districts in the attempt to hide their disease for their families and friends. Some of them go back after treatment, others stay. To move to the settlement does not require any administration or permission; it is enough to report to the head of the village only. Newcomers stay with one of the families first, later they may build their own house. People who leave Landipokki are mostly the healthy children of the people affected by leprosy.
Landipokki is the responsibility of the district government of Polmas (Polewali-Mamasa). The government does not provide any support for the inhabitants. Only during the time that Dr. Rasydin, who today is the director of the leprosy hospital at Daya / Makassar, was head of the district health department; an amount of Rp 150.000 was divided under the people affected by leprosy every three months. Besides that, in 1996 the social department provided 16 new houses, and in 1999 the installation for brick making.
Medical services
In Landipokki no health facilities are available. A small building for social activities was constructed some years ago with the help of the district wasor, but it is unused, empty. Once a month a team from the responsible health centre (the juru, nurses and a midwife) visits the settlement for general health
care.
