KIT Blog

In the 150th year of The Leprosy Mission we are taking some time to remember some of the many people who have contributed to our goal of a world without leprosy. We are thankful to God for inspiring people like Keith to provide love and healing to people affected by leprosy.

ERNEST KEITH SKILLICORN AM (1923 – 2018)

“One of the most tragic ways victims of leprosy suffer is to be outcast from society. Several of our patients begged me to kill them to put an end to their torment. Not a few told me that they could bear the loss of fingers, toes or even hands and feet, also eyes. What they could not tolerate is to be cut off from the human race. It was a great privilege for us to be instruments in helping restore a measure of dignity to some of the world’s 12 million people afflicted by this horrible, yet curable disease.” – Keith and Ruth Skillicorn, The Making of a Miracle, 1982, p213.

After studying for four years in a theological seminary and serving as an electrical technician in the Royal Australian Air Force, Keith travelled to India with his wife Ruth in 1951 in order to serve as a missionary in community development, adult literacy, and leprosy control.

During the 31 years Keith served in India, he established the “Agricultural Community Development Project”, an indigenous NGO.

From 1976 to 1982 Keith and Ruth carried out deputation work for The Leprosy Mission Australia (TLMA) based out of Victoria, and in 1982 they were appointed to the position first of Administrator and then Project Director with the HEED program in Bangladesh, a project of The Leprosy Mission.

Since retirement in 1988, Keith continued to visit India annually, working for the people of India, doing his best to ensure that those in need are taken care of. All of Keith’s magnificent work led to both him and his late wife, Ruth receiving the Award of Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1988 due to their Management of Leprosy and Agricultural Development in India and Bangladesh.

Keith carried on reaching out to people affected by leprosy – or those who thought they may have leprosy – via the Internet – that they may be expertly diagnosed by leprosy trained doctors in their part of the world.

In 2000 Keith and Ruth were appointed as Life Members of TLMA in recognition of 49 years of service both overseas and in Australia as volunteers for people affected by leprosy.

Give thanks and praise to God for the faithful dedication and compassionate love of Keith and Ruth for people affected by leprosy.

Pray for staff and volunteers working across the many countries that The Leprosy Mission work in. Pray for the wisdom and energy to achieve our goal of a world without leprosy.