By Helen (Shivanii) Cameron | President, Prabhat Alloi Inc (Australia)
A warm hello to all the readers!
Happily I can report that stage one of this project is completed - that is the rebuilding and painting of the kitchen in Nabakuthashram leprosy village. The residents of this village now have something bright and beautiful to enjoy in their otherwise drab and derelict village. There are many homes needing repair, so we continue with this project.
You will see from the photos that homes are either crumbling away brick by brick, losing whole walls or in such a dangerous state of disrepair that they need to be completely demolised and rebuilt.
Sadly, leprosy is still an issue of concern in India. A number of the residents in this village have come within the past few years due to having developed sores that were identified as leprosy. Even though there is medication now and it is safe, their families are so afraid of the disease that they will not allow them into the home. Even marriages will be called off is a member of one of the families has leprosy.
Such people, now homeless and abandoned, make their way to this village that was established in the late 19th century as a way of collecting and isolating people with this condition.
Below is a report from the team in India about their work on a range of projects. If you scroll to page 6, you'll find their update on Nabakuthashram. From page 9, you can find many accounts from the villagers themselves about the circumstances surrounding how and when they came to live in this village and who they left behind. Fortunately for them, the Prabhat Alloi (Home of New Dawn) team in India has taken them on and continue to help and support them now, connecting with them socially and bringing the community to their village bearing gifts on special celebration days. While they now feel more accepted, they still face the problem of living in derelict homes. Any donations to help them to have basic homes would be hugely appreciated.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jbsl4J7vbB98P2_aticCgadBVqLhVN6S/view
Thanks so much for the support we have received through GlobalGiving!
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