Restoring Dignity and Hope for Business Owners Affected by Leprosy

Last year, our women-led Jagruti (Sanskrit for “awakening”) project in Bihar, India, supported 20 small business owners who live with severe disability caused by leprosy or lymphatic filariasis. They received business skills training with our partner, Lepra Society, and a $300 grant in three installments to build their businesses. 

We shared Vinod’s story last year. Here are two more stories of how your support has fostered hope and dignity!  

Rita Devi

Rita Devi lives with disability and nerve damage caused by leprosy–she’s lost sensation in her hands and feet. Her small cosmetic shop is the sole source of income for her family. With the $300 livelihood grant, Rita made repairs to her shop and bought new stock that’s attracted more customers: she earns 3- 4 times more than before, securing a better quality of life for her and her husband.

After learning about self-care steps from the Jagruti leaders, Rita is taking care of herself at home and wearing a pair of insoles produced by our Christian hospital partner, the Schieffelin Institute. Both the self-care practices and the insoles protect her feet so Rita doesn’t get ulcers or blisters anymore! 

Thanks to your support, Rita Devi
was able to make repairs to her
shop and now she earns more! 

Ram Naresh

Ram Naresh lives with the effects of leprosy in his hands, feet, and eyes. With his wife and five children, he lives on a half acre of land where he grows fruit, vegetables and flowers. Ram used the livelihood grant to purchase more seedlings and expand his business. Thanks to assistance from the Jagruti leaders, he also applied for government benefits: now he receives a monthly stipend, in addition to a back-payment for all the years he didn’t know about this support! 

All the improvements from the grant doubled Ram Naresh’s income! Now he can pay for his children’s education as they finish school and progress to college. 

Your Faithfulness Through the Storm 

Our key Christian partner in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, IME Kimpese Hospital, suffered terrible damage to its roof in a tornado-like storm several months ago. Because of your support, we sent emergency resources and the repair is now complete!

Thank you for standing with our partners around the world in good times and difficult times. Together, we are demonstrating our calling to live and proclaim the gospel, break barriers to health and renew hope for the most marginalized.

Three Years of Changing Lives in Nepal 

Over the past three years, our women-led Jagruti project in Nepal has transformed tens of thousands of lives across two districts. Local women trained as  community resource people (CRPs) have connected their neighbors with medical care for neglected diseases like leprosy and empowered communities to advocate for better water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. 

Because of these local leaders’ work to educate communities and equip them for advocacy with local government, we’ve seen incredible changes across homes, villages and districts:

• 92% of people with NTD disability now report practicing daily self care (compared to only 46% the first year)
  
• 95% of households now access safe drinking water  (compared to only 38% the first year)
  

• 89% of households have toilets  (compared to 65% the first year) and in  96% of those households, every member always uses the toilet (compared to 45% in the first year)

• 94% of households wash their hands at recommended critical times  (compared to 30% the first year)

In places where doctors are few and far between, where people live with the daily threat of dangerous diseases, you invested in long-term change to help communities flourish.  Thank you for faithfully walking with us and these incredible local leaders for three years!