The Damien Foundation's slot in history

1954

World Leprosy Day

In 1954,Raoul Follereau launched the first World Leprosy Day. It has taken place ever since on every last Sunday in January, in more than 150 countries, including Belgium of course.

1964

Creation of the Damien Foundation

The Damien Foundation was not made in a day. Various associations in Belgium began collecting money for persons suffering from leprosy. Also, each year, they took to organising a World Leprosy Day. Then finally in 1964, all the associations joined up and created an association called Friends of Father Damien. Later it changed its name to «Damien Foundation»

1966

The year of international cooperation

There was no future in isolated projects. This was why the Damien Foundation set up the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations, ILEP. The Federation currently includes 15 organisations, which jointly support projects in aid of half of all leprosy patients throughout the world.

1973

The year of anti-tuberculosis projects

While working in Congo, associates of the Damien Foundation saw that they would also need to deal with the problem of tuberculosis. So they decided to set up joint projects to render their activities more efficient. Leprosy and tuberculosis in fact bore some similarities when it came to laboratory tests, drugs and treatment. More importantly, the associates would be able to cure both diseases as long as the disease was detected sufficiently early.

1980

Specialized, long-term action

It takes all of the Damien Foundation's resources to confront leprosy and tuberculosis. Both are poverty-related diseases and we focus our activities on national projects and well-defined areas. At a scientific level, the Foundation contributes towards discovering or developing new technology to help detect diseases and improve treatments.

1981

King Baudouin

The Belgian royal family has always shown interest in the leprosy sufferers and our Foundation's activities. In 1964, King Baudouin went to Polambakkam, Tamil Nadu in India and visited the Foundation's anti-leprosy project there. In 1981, he went to visit a project in Jalchatra, Bangladesh. Queen Fabiola is also the Damien Foundation's president of honour. As for Prince Philip, he has also visited some of the Foundation's projects in Bangladesh.

1989

The year of Damien

In order to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Damien's death, Tremelo, the village where Damien was born, played host to numerous magnificent demonstrations. The apotheosis was without doubt a historical procession in honour of Damien by which the inhabitants of Tremelo wished to show that Damien was still a part of their lives.

1992

Working with local personnel

There is an ever increasing supply of well-trained, qualified personnel in the countries in which the Foundation carries out its activities. So we send ever fewer associates abroad, concentrating instead on catering to the needs of local personnel. To do this, we provide them with the conditions they need to do a proper job.

1995

The Pope canonizes Damien

On 4 June 1995, more than 100 years after Jozef De Veuster's death, Pope John-Paul II declared him a saint.

2004

Anniversary of the Damien Foundation

In accordance with tradition, the Damien Foundation blew out its forty candles in all modesty. Our message was thus made quite clear, even then, the year of the Foundation's anniversary. We should not be thinking of ourselves first, but of all the persons throughout the world suffering from leprosy and tuberculosis.

What about today?

The Damien Foundation is a non-governmental organisation, which currently has more than 1,200 associates. These associates fight leprosy and tuberculosis in fifteen countries in Asia, Africa and America. Our Foundation's biggest projects are in Congo, India, Bangladesh and China.