Mission School, Iringa, Tanzania, 1922

“Mission School and [?] in Makoga, 1922.” Group portrait outside the school house. A large group in indigenous children sit on the ground whilst behind them stand a row of adults, presumably teachers, parents and missionary workers. ❧ The Church of Scotland, based in Nyasaland [Malawi], took over the work of the Berliner Missionsgesellschaft [Berlin Missionary Society], in the Iringa district of German East Africa [Tanzania], after the deportation of German missionaries during the First World War. The British authorities were concerned that the mission stations were being used to supply the enemy and that they exerted too great an influence in the region. James Hetherwick, from Blantyre, was worried that the German missionaries would not be allowed to return and their successful work would falter. He appealed to Robert Laws at Livingstonia to cooperate in caring for the German fields. ❧ Andrew M. Anderson and Duncan Ross Mackenzie were the two main participants in Iringa and the Churches custodianship of the Berlin Missionary society’s property. Mr Anderson opened a large number of schools in the region. The indigenous population were predominately from the Hehe tribe and the three main stations were at Lupembe, Kidugala and Ilembula with numerous sub-stations, many of which had fallen into disrepair after the war. ❧ When the German missionaries started to return there were disputes over whether they should be allowed to return to their former station. The Church of Scotland home authorities eventually ruled, in 1925, that the German missions should be returned. ❧ This image belongs to an album of photographs collected by Dr. Stevenson and includes images from India, China and Africa.