Mashare

Location of Mashare constituency (yellow) in the Kavango Region (dark grey) of Namibia

Mashare is a settlement in the Kavango East Region of Namibia, just east of Rundu, the regional capital. It is the district capital of Mashare Constituency.[1]

The settlement hosted a leprosarium until the early 1980s when the Namibian War of Independence led to its closure. The hospital accommodated thousands of patients with leprosy from Namibia, Angola, and Botswana.[2] Until today, Mashare is home to the biggest community of leprosy patients in Namibia who live together voluntarily due to their shared experience of stigma and isolation.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Smith, Jana-Mari (1 April 2011). "Leprosy: the reality in Namibia". The Namibian.
  2. ↑ Smith, Jana-Mari (1 April 2011). "Living with leprosy in Namibia". The Namibian.