Activities - Empowerment and rehabilitation of leprosy-affected people

2. Empowerment and rehabilitation of leprosy-affected people

Treating and curing the leprosy affliction is only part of the story for the leprosy-affected people. The fact that they also suffer from stigma deprives them of all other social and economic opportunities in life. Therefore, rehabilitation of the leprosy -affected people through self-empowerment is another challenge towards helping them regain their personal dignity and their place in society. To that end, Sewa Kendra has been implementing income-generating activities in support of the leprosy-affected residents of the Khokana leprosarium as well as those outside. As a part of the Livelihoods support program, Sewa Kendra has provided trainings on weaving, knitting, embroidery, plastic recycling crochet, bee-keeping, briquette from waster paper and grass charcoal with support from Government of Nepal's Department of Cottage industries and an eminent appropriate technology NGO, Foundation of Sustainable Technology (FoST), with financial support from the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation (SMHF) of Japan. The money that the participants in the income generating activities made were spent mostly on things that contributed to enhancing their quality of life. For instance, many bought gas stoves for their kitchens. Some paid off their long-standing debts. Some even paid for the schooling of the grand children living outside the colony. Sewa Kendra also supported an observation tour for a team of colony leaders to a similar colony in India at the border town of Raxaul and found that compared to it, Khokana was a paradise. Various adult education classes have also been regularly organized for people aged 40-75 years.