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The Dang Leprosy Centre is located in the Ghorahi, Dang district in Nepal’s remote midwest, our project is committed to serving people affected by leprosy with the love of Christ, restoring dignity, preventing further disability and enabling them to reach their full potential...

DESPAIR is the natural reaction when people discover they are diagnosed with leprosy. In rural Nepal leprosy is still thought to be a curse from the gods or the result of a person's bad actions in a previous life and people affected by leprosy frequently face stigma, rejection and exclusion from society. Common reactions are:

• Others will not eat with them
• Refused entry to schools
• Unable to marry
• Desertion by spouse and children
• Thrown out of village
• Unable to earn a living (others will not hire them or buy their goods)
• Verbal, psychological and physical abuse
• And the ever present fear of developing crippling deformities

But, in the midst of despair, the Leprosy Centre offers HOPE...

The Leprosy Centre is the only facility providing the following services in a zone of 1.5 million people:

Leprosy Neuritis Clinic: neuritis is a complication of leprosy which causes loss of feeling and weakness in eyes, hands and feet. In severe cases, neuritis can affect all body systems and even result in death. If recognized and treated early most damage can be reversed and further damage prevented. If untreated, patients often develop crippling and disfiguring deformities, which leads to further stigma and rejection from society.

Self Care Training: teaches people who have no feeling in their hands or feet how to protect themselves from injury, prevent disability and live safely and independently. Those who are already disabled are assisted to maximize their full potential, and if appropriate given assistance to become self-supporting through small income-generation schemes.

Training Health Workers: most government health workers have little knowledge of leprosy and are prejudiced against leprosy patients, often refusing to touch or treat them. Our 6-day practical-based training course brings them into direct contact with leprosy patients, challenges their prejudice and trains them in basic care and prevention of disability.

Specialized Footwear: in Nepal’s mountainous terrain, injuries to feet are common. Unfelt injuries lead to ulcerated wounds and can require amputation. We provide individualised protective footwear to people with no feeling or deformed feet at minimal cost (free if they are too poor to pay).

Advocacy: enabling people to speak out for themselves; speaking for those who have no voice. Our centre assists and enables leprosy affected people to access the treatment they need and stands with them to fight stigma and injustice in society.

This project is in urgent need of funding to continue work in 2007. The work is led by local Nepali staff with medical and management support provided by NZ SIMer Dr Julie Lincoln. Every dollar makes a world of difference. Here is how you can help:

• $2: feeds an inpatient for a day
• $10: protective pair of shoes
• $12: self-care kit to prevent injury
• $15: feeds an inpatient for a week
• $30: full treatment course for neuritis patient
• $65: One-week training for a health worker
• $260 shoemaker's salary for 1 month
• $350 full cost of transit ward for 1 month
• $550: full cost of a training week for health workers
• $1500: cost of running neuritis clinic for 6 months

Our work is enabling the poorest, most marginalised people in our zone to access lifesaving treatment, preventing disability and death and reducing stigma.

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For more information contact the SIM office on 09 535 0060 or email them at info@sim.org.nz