Biju loved his peaceful life in the rural farmland of his family. He grew up devoted to the traditional gods of former generations and passed on this heritage to his three children.…
World Leprosy Day is commemorated each year on the last Sunday of January. The aim of the observance day is to raise awareness about leprosy (also known as Hansen’s disease) and its…
According to a 2010 report consolidated by the Centers for Disease Control with information from the World Health Organization, 2,195 children die every day from diarrhea—which is more than AIDS, malaria and…
Bhadraksh had once been a young man, full of vigor. Married with a child, he worked hard for his young family. He had a stable and honest job in a thread factory,…
As the World Health Organization notes, leprosy is an ancient disease,[1] but it still rears its ugly head today. Leprosy affects many. In 2017, more than 210,000 new cases were reported in…
At 64 years old, learning to read and write was a dream come true for Kaavya. The double curse of leprosy and illiteracy had set her life on a path of rejection…
Tapan’s community is remarkably diverse for being so unified. Some people were born in lush farm country, others in desert lands. Some may have been carpenters or teachers, others were farmers. They…
Leprosy racked Sundrit’s body for eight years. The medications, ointments and treatments he received at the hospital failed to produce healing, as did the traditional god he worshiped. As the years wore…
Rabia got married when she was only 12 years old. She and her husband, and—years later—their two children, lived relatively happy lives, following their traditional Asian religion. But when Rabia turned 30,…
Charumati’s husband lay dead. Her son, Devan, clung to her, too young to fully understand what had happened. A dark pall settled over their future, and Charumati struggled to provide food and…
