Order of Saint Lazarus Belfort Village is one of the Order's flagship hospitaller institutions. It is a permanent community on the north-east coast of Madagascar built around the long-term care of those affected by Hansen's Disease — a condition that remains endemic in parts of the island and that continues to carry profound social stigma.
The work
The village provides residence, clinical treatment, and dignified accompaniment to those who would otherwise face exclusion. Recent activity has focused on infrastructure recovery following Cyclone Gamane, which destroyed homes within the village and required urgent rebuilding work funded directly through the Order's hospitaller appeals.
Why this place
The Order took its name from Saint Lazarus, the patron of lepers. From the leper-house founded at Jerusalem in the twelfth century to a village on the coast of Madagascar today, the line of work is unbroken — though the geography, language, and means have all changed.
How to support
Donations toward Belfort are best directed through the Order's national jurisdictions and voluntary organisations — see the give page for current channels, or write to office@stlazarus.es to discuss a partnership.
