Annie Allen (missionary)

Miss Annie Allen was a medical missionary from England.^[1] She was the daughter and granddaughter of missionaries who later took it upon herself to continue in the family business.^[2]

She worked primarily with the Universities' Mission to Central Africa (which would later become the United Mission to Central Africa) in their hospitals at Mkunazini and Zanzibar.^[3]

She was the director of the hospital in Mkunazini. Though she was mainly concerned with the health of the people she served, she helped them in many other ways as well. She was a leader who pushed for the education of the women and children of the areas where she worked. She founded the Zenana Mission in Zanzibar through the UMCA. The main goal of the Universities' Mission to Central Africa (UMCA) was evangelistic. They were an Anglo-Catholic organization and they brought their religious beliefs to the people of Africa. She was one of the most important missionaries of the time because she endured so much hardship, helped so many people, and overcame the difficulty that came with being a woman at the time.^[4]

Work with the ill and injured

The Universities' Mission to Central Africa was founded in 1860 at the request of "the great David Livingston." It was originally a mission for the people around Lake Nyassa, but it quickly grew. The main goal of the mission was always evangelistic but they also spent a lot of time bringing education and healthcare to the people of the region.^[4]

Although Allen worked on all three major aspects of this mission, she was a medical missionary first and foremost. She came to Mkunazini alongside Bishop Steere and twenty other workers on 11 February 1875. Of these twenty workers Miss Allen was put in charge of the hospital. She was helped by only two other nurses. They were horribly understaffed and it was up to Miss Allen to pick up the slack. Her work was not confined to the hospital. The Bishop would travel to nearby villages to spread the gospel and give advice. Miss Allen accompanied him on these trips and would tend to the medical needs of the growing crowds.

She continued working in Mkunazini for the next 10 years and faced a variety of difficulties.The hospital was subject to flood and war. This made it even more difficult for Miss Allen to do her important medical work. In August 1888 she, along with Sister Agnes, Sister Anne Margaret, Sister Mary Elizabeth,and Mr. Gill, journeyed to Maglia. They traveled by donkey for over a week before reaching their destination. They had been in Maglia less than a month when tragedy struck. On November 5 the Great Fire hit the mission in Maglia. Many structures were lost including many houses and half the newly built hospital. Miss Allen as the only doctor in the village at the time had to care for all the injuries sustained in the fire. In addition to these burns, she had to cure the rampant illness that occurred as a result of living so close together during the rainy season. The patients she dealt with were especially on-edge because war in the region was seeming more and more inevitable.

On 6 January 1889, another fire ravaged the mission at Maglia. Six weeks later, on 18 February, a tornado hit the village and did substantial damage to the newly rebuilt hospital. The rain that came after the tornado damaged what remained of the hospital. The downpour caused mud from the roof to coat everything below. Then, on 27 February, the war between Kimweri and Kibanga came to Maglia. The village was plagued by 400 Masai, the "most warlike and invincible tribe in Central Africa." This war lasted until 7 March, when Archdeacon Farier made peace with Kimweri. Miss Allen continued to care for the people of Maglia through these tumultuous times.^[3]

Evangelistic work with women and children

Allen did not only help people medically. She also was an integral part of many Zenana Missions. In 1878 she started one such mission in Zanzibar.^[3] She worked extensively with the people of Zanzibar and considered it her home.^[5] She recruited Miss Hinton, and the two women used the mission to spread Christianity. Miss Hinton helped run the Mission's nursery because, "the nation comes from the nursery" where there can be "a firm foothold for Christianity." The two women spent a lot of time with the children of Zanzibar making sure they had a proper Christian education.

Allen also visited the mothers to read Bible stories. She was especially successful in converting these Muslim women by pointing out the many similarities between their religion and the Genesis stories in the Bible.^[3] She employed the same technique when she later worked with the Copts of Cairo. The Copts, though they were "descendants of the ancient Christians of Egypt," had changed a lot. The Church Mission Society (CMS) was especially concerned with how superstitious the Copts had become. She was not as successful with converting this group.^[6]

Like many Zenana Missions, Miss Allen's later became less evangelistic and more focused on educating women and young girls. One of the skills she taught them was sewing. She gave them the skills and materials necessary to mend their own clothes, thereby making them more self-sufficient.^[6]

In a letter detailing her 1906 trip to Yinege, Miss Allen details some of the other skills and values they taught women. She remarks that she was impressed by their "lady like manner and neat dress." She also was very happy to report that the women seemed receptive toward Christianity. In all of her years as a Zenanan missionary, these were the characteristics she expected to see in women who were served by similar establishments.^[2]

References