Spring InTouch Magazine 2023

INTOUCH

Spring 2023

Cured, Cared for and Restored by you

Dear friend,

Welcome to your Spring edition of inTouch!

In my role, I’ve been so honoured and privileged to meet many special people and witness first-hand the incredible work you help support.

What a blessing to return to India earlier this year. Despite all the challenges of the past few years, the local Leprosy Mission staff team remain resolute in their commitment to bring an end to leprosy.

And what a blessing to once again meet with families who share their life story and the impact of leprosy. You will read more about Abeer in this magazine. I met Abeer and his dad at the Leprosy Mission Hospital. They travel 110kms from their home for his treatment. Despite his tender age and soulful gaze, the ravages of leprosy have already begun to afflict his young body. Your support and the dedicated staff will ensure Abeer gets timely treatment to cure leprosy and reduce the physical impact.

India awakens the senses with the vibrancy, colour and urgency of life. My prayer is that children like Abeer have the opportunity to have a vibrant fulfilled life.

I pray this edition of inTouch will be a blessing to you, as you read how people affected by leprosy like Maya and Satendra are making plans for their future. It is because of you that young people like Maya and Satendra have renewed hope, after leprosy threatened to steal their dreams.

Thank you for going above and beyond in your belief that no young people should have endure all that they have been through.

Through the loving kindness, dedication and the expertise of the medical team at Anandaban Hospital, Maya and Satendra can be completely cured, cared for and restored from leprosy!

God’s blessing, your wonderful support, and the dedication of our staff are the special ingredients that make this life-transforming work possible!

I’d like to end by thanking you for being a light for Christ in a broken world where sometimes the need can seem overwhelming. As we watch winter turn to spring, we are reminded of the certainty of God’s hand on our lives as we look to the beauty of his creation.

May His blessing be upon you and your families this season. The Spirit of the Lord is on me … to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour - Luke 4:18&19

God bless,

Gillian Whitley Executive Director

Gillian meeting students at a Leprosy Mission vocational centre in India.

Photography © Bruce Millar

Because of incredible supporters like you, Maya is completely cured of leprosy and now back at school!

Maya Restored

In

her

uniform and ready for school

For almost a year we have shared Maya’s story with you. Thanks to the commitment and prayer support from our wonderful Cure One supporters, Maya’s life has been completely transformed.

7 year old Maya’s leprosy began as small wounds on her skin. Festering and oozing, they scarred her face. Maya’s fingers also started to get deformed. Maya and her family faced discrimination from the community that forced Maya to leave school. She was no longer able to see her friends.

Through the support from wonderful Cure One supporters, Maya was referred to a Leprosy Mission clinic nearby where she was diagnosed with leprosy. She was put on the much needed Multi-Drug Therapy to cure her leprosy.

Your support is like light in the darkness for Maya and her family, to offer them hope and assurance in a desperate situation. Because of you - Maya is cured of leprosy –thank you!

With your loving support and the expert care at the Leprosy Mission clinic, Maya learned to take care of her wounds to prevent infections. She also receives physiotherapy to make sure her hands will not claw further; to help heal and restore her body. But I will restore your health and heal your wounds - Jeremiah 30:17

RESTORED BY YOU

We have exciting news for you from Nepal. Look at Maya now!

Because of you, Maya is now smiling and laughing on her way to school.

Thank you for giving children with leprosy like Maya the lift-changing support they need.

Cure One supporters have freed her from leprosy.

Now Maya is so much more confident.

Her greatest dream in life has been restored. Seeing Maya back at school and looking ahead to a far brighter future because of you.

“Now I am very happy. I can go back to school and play with my friends.”

Her smile says it all - thank you for curing, caring for and restoring children affected by leprosy like Maya.

Your love and compassion have made it possible for Maya to hope again and flourish in life.

Scan this QR code to watch a short video of Maya’s latest updates.

Abeer begins his Cure One journey...

Abeer is a 10 year old boy from Utter Pradesh, India.

Just like any other little boy attending school and full of dreams and aspirations… yet Abeer’s young body started to get attacked by leprosy bacteria.

It was devasting news for little Abeer and his family who have been suffering from severe poverty.

His leprosy has become so advanced because his local hospital had no leprosy expertise. Only when a neighbour mentioned the Leprosy Mission Naini Hospital did his family dare to hope again.

Leprosy has already inflicted lifelong harm – and now poverty is putting his chance for a cure at grave risk, because the bus fare to hospital for his vital leprosy treatment is too much of a financial burden.

To reach Naini Hospital, Abeer’s father carried Abeer on a 10km bumpy bike ride to the road, then more than 100km by bus!

Thankfully, they finally made their way to Naini Hospital where Abeer was put on the much-needed Multi-Drug Therapy to cure his leprosy.

At Naini Leprosy Hospital, Abeer patiently watched a therapist tapping a tiny wire on his skin, mapping out the numb spots where leprosy has killed nerves. They were all over his body!

Feet, back, bottom, arms – and fingers, now stiffening into the tell-tale rigid claws of advanced leprosy.

On top of his advanced leprosy, Abeer has so much bacteria in his body, he is experiencing an unbearable inflammation called Leprosy Reaction. He is numb in so many places, yet he is also wracked with pain.

This means Abeer must return to hospital every month to maintain his schedule to complete his full course of Multi-drug Therapy.

That’s 12 sets of bus tickets. Leprosy becomes an extra burden on Abeer’s family financially.

Cure, Care for and Restore

Life throws Abeer and his family a curveball. The leprosy diagnosis on top of poverty became too much for this little family. Yet, together, we can make sure Abeer’s story comes with a happy ending.

There’s so much that can be achieved through Cure One. Abeer can complete his full course of leprosy medication, he will receive treatment to heal his leprosy wounds. For Abeer’s family, restore also means access to continued education, health and livelihood.

Over the coming year, we will share his progress with you.

you would like to become a Cure One Supporter, please visit www.cureone. org.nz or phone 0800

Photography © Bruce Millar

A picture of health and happiness

Over the past 2 years we have shared with you Satendra’s Cure One journey. Thanks to you, Satendra has been cured, cared for and restored from leprosy. His life has been completely transformed!

Satendra’s biggest dream was to set up his own grocery shop.

Your love and compassion helped fund the materials, the building and enough seed finance so Satendra could bike across the border to India to gather initial stock for his dream grocery shop.

Satendra’s shop has been up and running for a few months now and it has been a popular shop.

Being able to set up a grocery shop not only benefits Satendra and his family, but also his wider community. Now there is a glint in Satendra’s eyes.

He is able to build a business and a positive future for his extended family. From washing powder, snacks, hygiene products to other household products...

Satendra’s grocery shop is selling everything that the community needs.

“Coming from a time, where I didn’t have any source of money and was solely dependent on my brother for taking care of me, I feel like the shop has allowed me to be independent and stand on my own two feet.”

“I also feel that the shop has allowed me to better use my time and energy. Before establishing the shop, I really didn’t do much. Most of my time back home would be spend on taking care of my cousins. I am really happy that I can now work for my livelihood and also help my mother and contribute to the family.”

None of this can happen without the kindness and compassion of people like you - thank you!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Your compassion raises a young man out of poverty – he can fulfil his dreams

Annual Review 2022

Thanks to your ongoing support, The Leprosy Mission New Zealand (LMNZ) remains committed to curing, caring for and restoring people affected by leprosy.

As you journey with us towards No Child with Leprosy by 2035, we have much to celebrate, be thankful for and to have hope for in the future. The expertise, experience, and dedication of our staff around the world are bringing hope to individual people affected by leprosy, their families, and communities.

We are hopeful that investment in researching early diagnostic tools, ulcer care and leprosy transmission prevention will reduce the number of people contracting leprosy, minimise leprosy-related disability and discrimination.

Countries that You Support

Leprosy is still a major health threat in one of world’s poorest, most crowded countries.

Working with TLM PNG to reduce leprosy’s burden: medical, social, economic.

TOWARDS ZERO TRANSMISSIO N

TOWARDS ZERO

DISABILITY

Cure Care Restore

TOWARDS ZERO

DISCRIMINATION

Preventing:

• Improving health and hygiene practices

• Improving water and sanitation facilities and waste management

Finding and Diagnosing:

• Raising awareness of leprosy

• Improving health seeking behaviour

• Strengthening health referral pathways and systems

Being treated:

• Ensuring leprosy assessment is available and accessible

• Ensuring MDT medication is given and taken

Breaking transmission:

• Contact tracing of close and community contacts of a person with leprosy

• Supplying close contacts and preventative medication

Hospital and Clinic Healthcare:

• Providing reconstructive surgery and ulcer treatment

• Providing counselling and physiotherapy

After treatment Care:

• Supplying protective and assistive devices

• Providing self-care training to people affected by leprosy and their families

• Providing follow-up health services

Sustainable livelihood development:

• Providing vocational training and employment placement

• Providing business training on income generating activities

• Providing training on saving and loans

• Facilitating self-help groups

Breaking stigma:

• Training community leaders and members in advocacy and human rights

ETHIOPIA

Tackling leprosy with local partners: ENAPAL.

DR CONGO

case finding.

BOUGAINVILLE Successful community health since 1999. NEPAL 3,000+ people receiving leprosy treatment.

INDONESIA Reducing world’s third worst rate of new leprosy cases.

TIMOR LESTE Partners with TLM TL to reduce leprosy’s medical burden and social cost.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

BANGLADESH

Thank you for your support in 2022

Thanks to supporters like you, we had an incredible financial year in 2022. You helped raise $6,216,774 last year.

We were able to meet all of our project commitments as well as provide extra funding for vital research and a new project in Timor Leste.

78.2% of the money expended was on our prograammes.

That’s thousands of people affected by leprosy receiving MDT (multi-drug therapy), hospital care, surgery, counselling, physiotherapy, vocational training, self-help group support and preventative health awareness.

Income Received

TO YOU

Where the money goes

10,453

people identified as closed contacts of people diagnosed with leprosy and received one dose of rifampicin in NZ supported projects.

1,231

new leprosy cases were diagnosed in NZ supported projects.

526

people received ulcer treatment and reconstructive surgery in NZ supported projects.

5,669

people received physiotherapy in NZ supported projects.

2,164

people received treatment of leprosy-related ophthalmological problems in NZ supported projects.

3,644

people in self-help groups in New Zealand supported projects.

1,354

Village Health Volunteers were trained in Health Development in New Zealand supported projects.

Shakti stands and walks

Incredible news from Nepal. 16-year old Shakti can stand and walk again!

Shakti has been the focus of our Appeal for the Nepal Research Centre. From just two years old, leprosy spread unchecked throughout her childhood. She lost the feeling in the soles of her feet. Superficial cuts transformed into deep ulcers. Shakti’s lower leg became so badly infected, she needed the doctors at Anandaban Leprosy Hospital to save her life – by amputating below her knee.

Her future looked uncertain, yet thanks to your continued support, Shakti has now been able to return to Anandaban to receive her joy-giving gift of independence and mobility: a beautiful new prosthetic leg. She is very grateful. “I am really excited about having a prosthetic leg. I can’t wait to go back home walking on both feet!” Your compassion for people affected by leprosy has given this young girl a fresh start in life– and the new research centre planned for Anandaban will bring hope to many more like Shakti. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

Marianne: Blossoming in Bougainville

Remember Marianne from our World Leprosy Day Appeal for Bougainville? Because of her leprosy, her children were taken from her. Her immune response, called Leprosy Reaction, had her in constant agony, and she barely had the strength to stand. She was abandoned and left for dead.

So much has changed since New Zealand supporters rallied to help our near neighbours in Bougainville! Recently Jasleen - our International Programmes Manager – was able to visit Marianne, along with Raphael the Leprosy Control Officer who, with your support, has restored Marianne to health.

“When Raphael found her,” Jasleen said, “she couldn’t even feed herself. Now she is doing so much better. Her health has improved dramatically. Her confidence is restored and she is becoming a powerful leprosy advocate.

“In fact, she took us to meet a young child named Donna, who Marianne thought was showing signs of leprosy. She was right! Raphael diagnosed Donna and now this shy little girl is being cured!”

What a magnificent turnaround. Thanks to the care you provided for Marianne, now lives like Donna’s are being restored too. Thank you for living out Proverbs 31:9 – Defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Shakti with prosthetics technician Krishna at Anandaban Hospital.

Help a child like Abeer on their year-long journey of Cure, Care, Restore.

BECOME A CURE ONE SUPPORTER TODAY FROM JUST $20 A MONTH

Abeer’s young body has been devastated by a deadly mix of leprosy and severe poverty. Leprosy has already inflicted lifelong harm – and now poverty is putting his chance for a cure at grave risk, because the monthly bus fare to hospital for his vital Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) is too much of a financial burden.

Abeer is at the very first step of a year-long climb through Cure, Care and Restore. He cannot do this alone. He needs someone like you to say, “Yes, I will Cure One like Abeer”.

Please join Cure One today and give someone like Abeer their year of the Lord’s favour. A time to heal. A year to set them free from leprosy.

Please scan QR code, call or email:

0800 862 873