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