AU T UM N 2 02 1
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING JOY AND HOPE
PAG E 2 — S EC T I O N / PAG E T I T L E
Dear friend, As you read this edition of New Day, I hope like me that you are reminded of how God provides through his people. I am so humbled that you continue to be changemakers for people affected by leprosy, in what is such a difficult season for us all globally. Your generous response to the Unconditional Appeal for Mozambique will see the wellspring of Hubs of Hope. I hope you are as excited as I was to read about a typical week at a fully operational hub.
Your compassion will help to end leprosy in this country and bring positive change for generations to come. Dan and Babs Izzett from Zimbabwe are also featured, and I have had the privilege of getting to know them this year. This world can crush us if we allow it to, but the dark cloud of leprosy that entered Dan and Babs’s lives inspired them to serve God in an amazing way. Your incredible generosity truly does have an impact globally. As you continue reading New Day, we leave Mozambique and
THANKS TO YOU, LEPROSY CHANGEMAKERS ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY TO END LEPROSY IN MOZAMBIQUE Photography ©: Ricardo Franco
Zimbabwe, in Africa, and head to India where your life-saving gifts helped to vaccinate the most vulnerable. The Covid vaccinations you provided mean that people can now leave their leprosy colonies safely to earn the money that brings food, shelter, and most of all dignity into their lives. Dr Mary Verghese, the Head of The Leprosy Mission India and a dear friend of mine, tells her personal Covid story. It’s a wonderful testimony of how God saved her life. I know of Mary’s strong personal faith, and how she felt equipped by
God to take on this special role in India. It was no surprise to read her words as she recalls literally fighting for her life, “Only prayer saved my life. The doctors treating me felt it was a miracle. Family, friends and the global Leprosy Mission family continuously prayed for me.” We are called to pray in all circumstances. It is because of prayer that Mary lived, and she continues to praise God despite living through the most difficult year of her life.
the provision of a well in the parched land of Sri Lanka brings living water in more ways than one. I hope that you will consider giving the gift of clean water to more families like Vavy’s.
Finally, you will read about Vavy and her family in Sri Lanka. I have witnessed how
Peter Waddup Chief Executive
Thank you for being a blessing!
PAG E 4 — A P L AC E O F LOV E A N D CO N N EC T I O N
A PLACE OF LOVE AND CONNECTION Hubs of Hope are to be constructed across Northern Mozambique, giving hope, healing and connection to remote communities. Your amazing outpouring of love for the people of Mozambique earlier this year was overwhelming. Thanks to UK Aid Match your donations were doubled by the UK government! Your compassion will help to end leprosy in this country and bring prosperity to communities for generations to come.
We can never thank you enough for believing in the change that Hubs of Hope will bring. You are helping to welcome people back into their communities. Your generosity will raise awareness about leprosy, stamping out prejudice and ensuring people have the skills to thrive. We’re so excited to share that pilot hubs have already become the beating hearts of rural communities. A hub gives each village a place for people to come together, end leprosy and encourage one another. They are places powered by your compassion, where Jesus’ love for the marginalised is at the very centre of daily life.
A P L AC E O F LOV E A N D CO N N EC T I O N — PAG E 5
Photography ©: Ricardo Franco
PAG E 6 — A T Y P I C A L W E E K AT A H U B O F H O P E
Here is a typical week at a fully operational Hub of Hope. We hope you’ll get a glimpse of just how special these places are. They radiate joy and friendship. They’re something we all need, aren’t they?
MonDay & wEDnesDay, 8AM
tUesdAy, 3pM
You can hear laughter mingled with times of quiet concentration as a self-care group meets at the hub. Friendships are made as people check each other’s hands and feet for injuries. They sing together as they soak their feet to keep skin supple. A health worker is on hand to dress any ulcers. Your kindness keeps these groups going, and means that people affected by leprosy don’t develop disabilities.
A savings group meets to help support anyone in the community who has a financial emergency, such as funeral costs or a farming disaster, and to encourage individual saving for challenging times ahead.
wEDnesdAy, 10:30AM You enable Community Leaders to come together. They spend time planning how to deal with challenging issues including health, education and climate change.
tUEsDaY & tHursDAy, 8pM A Leprosy Management Committee group holds training sessions for new volunteers. This equips them to go to their individual villages and change the culture surrounding leprosy. Only through raising awareness and tackling stigma at the heart of the community can Mozambique finally stamp out leprosy! Those attending the training include religious leaders, as well as traditional healers like Rosalina (pictured). For centuries, traditional healers have been the first port of call for health issues. They try to cure leprosy with herbs, which of course does not work. Your kindness means that Rosalina now knows to refer people showing the early signs of leprosy to a health worker or hospital for the cure.
Members put around 10 Meticals (the equivalent of about 11 pence) onto a cloth on the ground. The coins are then gathered and placed in the community chest. Each household also deposits at least 10 Meticals, or whatever they can afford, into an individual saving pot. In a country where there is no benefit system and people live hand to mouth, saving for hard times is crucial. Without a savings group, if a crop fails or a farmer is too sick to work, families frequently go hungry.
Photography ©: Ricardo Franco
MonDay & Friday, 3pM Your generosity sends Leprosy Changemakers like Mario (pictured) out to rural villages. There is a lot of fun as he teaches people about leprosy through song and dance. Mario shares that leprosy is entirely curable, but must be treated quickly to avoid disability. Myths surrounding leprosy are dispelled, giving people the confidence to come forward for treatment.
SatUrDAY, 9AM
Farmers return from the fields and join a ‘value chain group’ where they discuss how to best market their products to maximise their income. It’s amazing how your gifts are raising living standards across whole communities!
A Christian group meets to hear about leprosy in the Bible in the light of God’s word and Jesus’ teaching. This is a very special time of fellowship and learning.
tHursDAy, 2pM Numeracy and literacy classes are open to all. Adult literacy levels are very low in Cabo Delgado, particularly among women who are significantly less likely to receive an education.
dAily screEniNG AT sUnDown! Everyone looks forward to 6pm, when a film is screened at the hub. It’s a time to relax and come together as a community. Sometimes an educational film is shown, on other days it’s a local theatre production. No-one misses out as people can also tune in on their radios or watch on a Smartphone.
AND let us consiDer how WE mAY spUR onE aNothEr on ToWArD love AND goOD deEDs, not giVInG up meETiNg toGETHer, AS soME ArE in THE hABit of doing, bUT eNcouraginG onE Another – AND alL THE more As yoU seE THE Day ApProacHinG. Hebrews 10: 24-25 (NIV)
A T Y P I C A L W E E K AT A H U B O F H O P E — PAG E 7
wEDnesdAy, 2pM
I wilL sAY oF THE lorD, "hE is my rEfUgE AND my fortress, MY GoD, iN Whom I trUsT."
PAG E 8 — S EC T I O N / PAG E T I T L E
psALm 91:2 (NIv)
Photography ©: Ruth Towell
IF I DIDN’T TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY IT WOULDN’T BE RIGHT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. DAN, IT IS UNUSUAL FOR SOMEONE LIVING IN TAUNTON TO HAVE HAD LEPROSY, WOULD YOU TELL US YOUR STORY? Babs and I are originally from Zimbabwe and retired to Taunton a year ago to be near our sons and grandchildren. I was diagnosed with leprosy in 1970 and Babs in 1977. So a long time ago now. But because of the fear surrounding leprosy it took us 28 years to tell our friends. We didn’t want to be treated differently, or face prejudice. Our story is unusual in the fact that leprosy is a disease that thrives where there is poverty. But this wasn’t the case for us. It wasn’t even a disease that was hugely prevalent in Zimbabwe. When I first lost feeling in my fingers in 1960, I ignored the problem. I was only 13 at the time. Then in 1970 the doctors incorrectly diagnosed the rash all over my body as syphilis!
In February 1972 I was finally diagnosed with leprosy. I told Babs that I would understand if she wanted to have the marriage annulled because I had this disease. But she replied that, firstly, she loved me and secondly, we had made a vow before God at our wedding to stay together ‘through sickness and in health’. We often sat down and racked our brains as to how I got it. We just didn’t fit the stereotype. I was working as a civil engineering technician at the time and was incredibly fortunate to be able to pay for treatment. Babs was diagnosed with leprosy in 1977. Thankfully it was treated at an earlier stage than my leprosy and she has no disabilities.
I N T E RV I E W W I T H DA N I Z Z E T T — PAG E 9
Thank you for being part of The Leprosy Mission’s global family. We’d love you to meet Dan and Babs Izzett, from Taunton, Somerset. Dan is a unique member of our valued Volunteer Speaker team. Both he and Babs have been treated for leprosy.
HOW DOES LEPROSY IMPACT YOUR LIFE TODAY?
TELL US ABOUT THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU SUPPORT THE LEPROSY MISSION.
My fingers are clawed and I have no feeling in any of them. Last year I had a finger amputated following a burn which became infected. My right leg was amputated from below the knee many years ago. I mistakenly bathed my numb foot in a basin of scolding water. It got infected and needed to be amputated.
I’m a Volunteer Speaker in Somerset, fundraising in churches and community groups.
Once you have leprosy you do struggle for the rest of your life. Only the other day I went for a cup of tea with a friend and still have a blister on my finger where it was resting on the side of the teacup. These little things happen the whole time.
PAG E 10 — I N T E RV I E W W I T H DA N I Z Z E T T
COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAITH JOURNEY? Babs and I are both from Christian families, but our faith was enriched by our leprosy journey. When I was first treated for leprosy, I had a terrible reaction to the dead leprosy bacteria in my body. I had awful joint pains and huge lesions appeared on my face and legs. I clearly remember lying in my hospital bed feeling terrible when suddenly the room lit up with an awesome light. When Babs and my minister visited me later, they asked me what had happened. I told them about the light and my minister said, “Jesus still visits those with leprosy”.
I have been blessed to travel to India twice with The Leprosy Mission. It was in India that I saw what a blessing my clawed hands were. Because I am a white man, there was no way people living in leprosy colonies would imagine I was affected by the disease. But when doing the traditional ‘namaste’ greeting in India, where you put your hands together and bow your head, they were astonished to see that I had leprosy-affected hands. Suddenly no words were needed. They knew I understood and that we were all the same. It was my passport for connecting with them, human to human. It transcended language and race. It was a deeply humbling experience, particularly when I sat next to a man with the same amputation as me. But whereas I had a £4,000 state-of-the art prosthetic limb, he was using part of a plastic pipe to hobble around on.
After that my body really began to heal. Years later, working as a pastor, I was asked by The Leprosy Mission to share our story. This started by sharing our testimony with our church. Afterwards every single person hugged us and asked over and over again, “Why did you not tell us before?”. It was very emotional. Since then, we have used our story to raise awareness and funds for fellow leprosy patients in far less fortunate circumstances than us.
Dan Izzett spends time with a fellow leprosy patient in his native Zimbabwe
calendar-day Dan and Babs will be speaking at our Carol services in December, more information will be available later this year.
In the Spring, harrowing scenes from India shocked the world as the country saw soaring cases of Covid. Hospitals were overrun, there was a desperate shortage of lifesaving oxygen, and lockdown led to the worst hunger in decades. But thankfully you were there at this time of great need. Your love and generosity placed Leprosy Mission doctors at the forefront of the disaster response. At a time when the UK’s Covid vaccination programme was reaching older and vulnerable adults, just a fraction of India’s population had been jabbed. When you heard about this, you didn’t hesitate to respond. You showed people living in remote communities that they weren’t forgotten and made sure those affected by leprosy had the vaccinations they needed.
People affected by leprosy are often unable to reach vaccination centres because of disability, discrimination, or a lack of public transport during periods of lockdown. Thank you for providing transport and funds to cover missed wages for the most vulnerable. We are so thankful for your heart of compassion. The vital protection the vaccine gives will help people withstand future waves of the virus. As well as protecting the health of people in vulnerable communities, you cared for those most severely affected by the virus. Covid isolation wards were set up and equipped at Leprosy Mission hospitals across India. The exemplary clinical care given by the medical teams saved many lives. This was only possible because of your support. You gave people like Kala Dai a lifeline when they needed it most. Thank you.
VACC I N AT I N G T H E M O S T V U L N E R A B L E — PAG E 1 1
VACCINATING THE MOST VULNERABLE
THANK YOU FOR CARING FOR KALA Now 87 years old, Kala Dai was thrown out of her home at a young age when her family realised she had leprosy. She has been cared for by The Leprosy Mission for 63 years!
PAG E 1 2 — C A R I N G FO R K A L A & I N T E RV I E W W I T H D R M A RY
Kala recently contracted Covid and was treated in the isolation ward at Chandkhuri Hospital. Thankfully she has made a full recovery from the virus. She said, “I am the oldest of all my old age friends at the hospital, my Leprosy Mission family. Today I want to testify to God’s miracle in my life. I thought my time had come and I would die, but God is merciful. I was Covid positive and that was a very hard time. The nurses and doctors were always by my bed checking on my oxygen levels. I knew my life was important to them. I know I am loved. Thank you for your prayers. God bless you.”
FIGHTING LEPROSY AND COVID Dr Mary Verghese has led The Leprosy Mission Trust India for the past five years and has served the Mission for more than a decade. Having been at the helm during the pandemic, Dr Mary is now taking early retirement after her own battle with the coronavirus.
DR MARY, CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL BATTLE WITH COVID? It all started mid-morning in early April when I developed a sore throat followed by a hacking cough and a very bad cold. The next day my husband and I went for a Covid test. I was negative. A week later my pulse rate rose and I had a fever. When my oxygen levels started dropping, a second Covid test was positive. Despite a severe shortage of beds, I was fortunate enough to be admitted to hospital. I took a turn for the worse and became very breathless. I was given oxygen and intravenous drugs. I could hear doctors say that I needed to go to Intensive Care. But there were no Intensive Care beds available.
I lost count of the days. I couldn’t do anything for myself, not even turn over on the bed. Finally, after 22 days I was discharged from hospital with an oxygen supply. God has been kind and I am slowly recovering. COULD YOU DESCRIBE THE IMPACT COVID HAS HAD ON THE LEPROSY MISSION’S WORK IN INDIA? The last 18 months have been tough. In March 2020, when the national lockdown was announced in India, we were new to the disease. None of us knew how to best help leprosy patients. We distributed sanitation kits, face masks and food to the hungry. We raised awareness of Covid in rural communities.
In our hospitals, the number of paying patients fell due to the lockdown. We had to cut salaries for all colleagues, which they graciously accepted. Many of our team were affected and four died. They had given their all to people affected by leprosy for many years. It was heart breaking for us all. The second wave, which hit us in 2021, was even more devastating. At its peak more than 400,000 new infections were detected daily and 4,000 people were dying every day. This surge created an acute shortage of hospital beds and oxygen. Looking ahead, we need to prepare for a third wave of Covid. We must be able to provide healthcare and rehabilitation to people affected by leprosy and other disabilities. We need to make sure all our colleagues are vaccinated and safe. THE PAST 18 MONTHS HAVE BEEN A REAL EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER FOR YOU, DR MARY. HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC DEEPENED YOUR PERSONAL FAITH AND RELIANCE ON GOD?
This year death was at my door. Only prayer saved my life. The doctors treating me felt it was a miracle. Family, friends and the global Leprosy Mission family continuously prayed for me. I clung on to Psalms 91 and 46. My brother and sister prayed with me every day and I recited Psalm 91. My son would record hymns and send them to me. My daughter would circle Bible verses for me. A Christian doctor called out my name when I was critical and took out my Bible and read Psalm 46. My lungs are damaged, but I am trusting God for healing. DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE FOR THOSE WHO SUPPORTED THE WORK IN INDIA DURING THE PANDEMIC? If I were to summarise what The Leprosy Mission stands for, it is compassion and empathy for people affected by leprosy and the marginalised. I experienced this compassion and empathy when I was in hospital. Patients were unable to move an inch. Each one encouraged the other. The empathy of the healthcare workers touched our inner being. They were in their PPE suits, visors and double masks. Despite all their inconveniences, they provided exemplary care. It’s the same in Leprosy Mission hospitals, our vocational training centres and in our community projects. Our colleagues risked their lives in the most difficult of times. I want to thank each one of you who supported the work of The Leprosy Mission in India during the pandemic. In spite of being far away in the UK, you empathised with us, you understood our pain and showed such gracious generosity. Thank you. God bless you.
I N T E RV I E W W I T H D R M A RY — PAG E 1 3
We developed a mobile therapy clinic to visit communities in remote areas. It provided leprosy and disability services to more than 800 people affected by leprosy and 2,000 people with other disabilities.
Last year was very difficult, especially when colleagues and their families were sick with Covid. Often, colleagues would break down when their children and family members were seriously ill. We prayed and interceded to God for the lives of our colleagues.
PAG E 1 4 — S EC T I O N / PAG E T I T L E
YOUR KINDNESS CAN PROVIDE FOOD, WATER AND EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE LIKE VAVY
For many across Sri Lanka, hunger is an urgent issue. It is as though the shelves are always empty for them. Even if they weren’t, being able to afford basic staples is impossible. Parents’ bellies rumble as they give what little they have to their children. It’s what any parent would do isn’t it? It’s the worry of where the next meal will come from that makes life tough for people like Vavy. She lives with her husband and four children. Leprosy has caused nerve damage in her hands so she struggles to work. This means that Vavy and her husband can’t afford much food. It’s essential that Vavy can grow her own food supply. Not just to provide for her family, but to survive. Today your kindness can provide vegetable seeds and plants to someone like Vavy. You can also provide training for a whole village on how to grow healthy crops. Your love for people affected by leprosy will keep on growing. Vavy faces another issue that makes her life even harder. She doesn’t have a local well. Her neighbours won’t let her use theirs. They are scared of her leprosy. They wrongly believe that she is cursed and that they could become cursed too. If she tries to draw water, they chase her away. As a result, Vavy has to travel a great distance to get water. She struggles as she carries it back home. Her hands won’t let her hold much. This means she has to make many trips.
But today you can change that. You can provide a well for people like Vavy. With it, they will have clean water that is safe to drink. They will be able to water the seeds and plants that you have provided for them. Vavy shares the difference you can make, “If I have a water well, I can grow vegetables to eat, and I’ll be able to sell some too and provide for my family.” For people like Vavy this is so important. It means she will know where her next meal is coming from. She will be able to feed her family. You can give her the reassurance that it is all going to be ok for her children. When you provide a new water well for families in Sri Lanka, you will also be providing education to villages. They will learn that leprosy isn’t a curse and that people affected by leprosy shouldn’t be treated differently. They should be included in the community too. Please give what you can today to provide food, wells and education in Sri Lanka. seedling For £20, you can provide enough seeds and plants for a whole family tractor For £72, your love will provide nutritional advice and farming training for a village in Sri Lanka Faucet For £450, your kindness will provide a well for families like Vavy’s Your kind heart will be making sure families are fed and protected. You will be helping to educate communities. Your love will make sure people affected by leprosy can grow their own futures. What a blessing! Thank you for showing kindness to people affected by leprosy in Sri Lanka.
Photography ©: Mahinthan Someswarapillai
YO U R K I N D N E S S C A N P R OV I D E FO O D, WAT E R A N D E D U C AT I O N — PAG E 1 5
If you cast your mind back to the start of the pandemic, food shortages were a real problem. People began panic-buying essentials. Can you remember the scenes of empty shelves? Many simply wanted to make sure they could provide for their families. The last thing you would want is to see your loved ones go hungry.
Photography ©: Fabeha Monir
WHAT DOES YOUR WORLD FREE FROM LEPROSY LOOK LIKE? Sudha Rani (pictured with her grandson Arnab) dreams of a world free from leprosy for her children and grandchildren. You can be the one to make this world a reality for future generations. Together we can see a world where every person affected by leprosy is cured, healed and included.
Create your world free from leprosy by leaving a gift in your Will today. To find out more about leaving a gift in your Will go to Globe leprosymission.org.uk/legacy
Front cover photography ©: Mahinthan Someswarapillai The Leprosy Mission England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, Goldhay Way, Orton Goldhay Peterborough, PE2 5GZ 01733 370505 post@tlmew.org.uk globe leprosymission.org.uk
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