Ministry for sufferers of leprosy

Leprosy sufferer receiving new sari and dupatta from Ministry donations

Working for the welfare of Leprosy sufferers is another activity of the Grace Ministries.  From the very inception of the Ministry, deep concern and aid was offered to the Lepers; without sufficient encouragement from any social or voluntary organizations no plan has been put in place to regularly attend to the needs of these people. 

Within Andhra Pradesh lepers form into groups or colonies, choosing to live away from their family and communities as they cannot move with the normal society without persecution. 

Living together they can support each other through the difficult and painful times.  Sufferers experience skin lesions; eye problems; muscle weakness; reddish skin; smooth shiny diffuse thickening of facial skin, ear, and hand; loss of sensation in fingers and toes; thickening of peripheral nerves; and flat nose due to destruction of nasal cartilage.

Leprosy patients suffer under some of the worst conditions and stereotypes about their disease. Depending on the level of disfigurement a leper could receive harsher stigma and ostracism. Leprosy sufferers are markedly disadvantaged with respect to income with 16-44% of victims reporting a decrease in pay as a result of having leprosy.  

Women suffer greater restrictions and social stigma than men. Leprosy prevents mothers from getting too close to their children out of fear that they could infect them.  In a report, 49% of women stopped breast-feeding their babies as a result of having leprosy. 

Grace Orphanage and Ministry are working hard to educate people about the disease. In one study when leprosy treatment and education were mixed in with the local healthcare program the attitudes towards the disease were somewhat alleviated as people had a better understanding of it. 

If you are interested in helping support and revise the current project please contact Bro Emmanuel Nethala

Community Care for Widows

The state of Andhra Pradesh is comprised of thousands of villages and hundreds of towns and tens of cities.

Emmanuel Nethala, Correspondent and Vice-President at Grace Children’s Orphanage, described visiting the many local villages seeing hundreds and thousands of widows living in appalling conditions, without clothing to cover themselves, inadequate food any many suffering from a number of treatable illnesses all due to a lack of basic medicine and nutrition, “I was moved by every situation I saw to continue the work of the ministry in the name of God for the good of these people”

“We surveyed the villages and towns and from each area we gathered 100 names and their historical background.  We then sorted from the list 10 of the most needy widows and we support them.  In total so far we have selected nearly 1500 of the most destitute male and female widows”

To begin with each Widow was given $5 a month, to care for their food and medicines. In addition once every six months a Widows Fellowship meeting is held in different places to ascertain their well-being and to meet any emergencies they have, distribute clothes, home needs such as medicines, soaps, blankets, detergents etc., meet any travel expenses and provide a nutritious group meal.

There is still much work to do to ensure safety, confidence and dignity.  During daily prayers please remember these men and women.  They have endured great hardships and do not have any family they can turn to for assistance.

Since the number of widows needing help has increased, we are planning to open specialist widow centres in different places. At present one widow’s home with 12 rooms is under construction to house 50 people. 

Where it all began

Andhra Pradesh region of India

On 6th November 1996, a cyclone hit Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh. Everything was lost. Homes and fields were severely damaged, around 2,000 people died.  

As a consequence of the cyclone fields, trees, houses and people and animals were washed away.  Children without parents or relatives started begging for food and clothing finding themselves consumed by the many diseases such as Cholera, Typhoid, Dengue Fever and Pneumonia.  The region was devastated.

As a result the people of Grace Ministry opened their home to the many orphan children, widows and lepers, working in teams attending the local communities by helping them with cooking vessels, rice, clothing and blankets, medicines and other required items. The entire expenditure being met by members of the Ministry.

Despite losing everything in the floods themselves members of the ministry decided to visit homes of the surviving families and asked them to share some food and clothing for the cyclone victims.

The ministry was founded by Rev. N. John David Raju with the name “GRACE CHILDREN’S ORPHANAGE” in 1996 and was registered with the Indian Government in 1998. The charity’s number- 423/1998.

At Grace Children’s orphanage we are committed to serving the destitute children (boys and girls) and since 1998 the children have been receiving a school education, residency, food, clothing, uniform and medical care.

For the Widows a total care scheme is in operation, providing food, clothing, housing, medical care etc.

The work of the Ministry can only be undertaken through donations from individuals and friends. The ministry is growing, the first group of children are now receiving a high school education and some have entered higher learning college.

We will not ignore them at this juncture of their lives. They need to study and acquire a job or trade to be able to support their own future.  

Please join us in helping these children become happy and fulfilled adults!