Learning Hub

When we visited producer groups in Bangladesh recently, we found Jaya making a string of angels out of Parthi grass. She was putting beads onto the angels to form their heads. She can make approximately 15 angels in one day. Jaya and her coworkers also make baskets, coasters, hats, and other Christmas decorations. Jaya has been working with this producer group for the past 25 years. A lot has changed since she started. Her husband passed away many years ago, which meant she had to take on all the responsibility for the family’s finances. Thanks to the training and income...

When Urmila was 11, she was diagnosed with leprosy. She felt devastated. It attacked the nerves in her hands and feet. It stole away her ability to feel with them. She didn’t notice when sharp stones ripped through her shoes, and tore her skin. These cuts soon became infected and ulcerated. Urmila could barely walk. Her foot had an ulcer that just wouldn’t go away. She spent months in hospital, and fell even further behind in school. Can you imagine how different it might have been, if Urmila had protective shoes to keep her feet safe? If she had been...

Your compassion creates champions like Sunitha. Sunitha has been living in a leprosy community in India all her life. Both of Sunitha’s parents had leprosy and she still lives with them. Her husband abandoned her many years ago leaving Sunitha to raise their children on her own. Sunitha was unable to complete high school but has trained in handloom weaving and leather technology through her leprosy community association. The piece items and bags she makes are sold for you to buy! Sunitha has supported her daughters through high school and higher studies. One of them is now a beautician, the other,...

When Amar’s wife died after falling off a roof, Amar lost everything. Amar, from Nepal, had two young children, but he had no way to earn a living. Too poor, and too impaired by leprosy, a disease he didn't know he had, he made the heartbreaking choice to give them a chance at a better future in an orphanage. Amar has not seen his children in 11 years. The leprosy took an enormous toll on his body. He lost feeling in his hand due to nerve damage, and he burnt it while cooking. He bandaged it, but it didn’t heal;...

18-year-old Ratnakumari’s life revolves around helping her mum. Her mum was diagnosed with leprosy, and it causes her a lot of pain. Ratnakumari does all the cooking and cleaning so that her mother can rest. She has to do everything, because her older sister works far away, and her younger sister is still in school. Every month, she brings her mother to the Leprosy Mission hospital. Ratnakumari was deeply touched when she saw how well the nurses treated her mother. It stayed with her and grew into a dream — to be like the nurses at the Leprosy Mission. But...