The two most interesting stories I retrieved in the archives yesterday and today are these. You can be sure to find me do more research on these:
Sofi: This place was in the 1940's the subject of a resettlement programme of the colonial government. To secure the health of the population, and to allow for access to health services, and other social services, the local colonial administration resettled 2/3 of the population. The mission objected and it seems, not without support from the Sofi poele. Reading the sources, there is an echo of villagization programmes in independent Tanzania (Operation Vijiji).
Mahenge: This government hospital has in 1939 been handed over to the Swiss Capuchin Mission. The Tanzanian National Archives have the documents that tell the government side of this story. The Archive of the Swiss Province of the Capuchins, in Luzern, tells part of the story from that side, and at least partially from the side of the Gabathulers, the two mission doctors who were to be working in Mahenge . Now, I still lack the story from the side of the Diocese of Dar es Salaam. It is certainly a nice example for the interest of both government and mission for co-operation.
