French philanthropist and writer, Raoul Follereau, initiated
World Leprosy Day in 1954. It is being observed around the world on the last Sunday of January, or the nearest Sunday. This year that results in Sunday, February 2 for 2014 as it is the nearest Sunday. On December 20, I did write a post about
both of us visiting the very same Leprosy Hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia where Princess Diana visited in 1989. You find that link below this post for those that missed it.
At the Amsterdam taxfree airport shop, Pieter bought me this long necklace of Majorica crema rosa pearls and in Singapore the matching Christian Dior pearl earrings.
Wearing the necklace here double.
This is me, back in 1997 in the Jakarta, Indonesia Leprosy hospital with a male patient.
Look at his disfigured hands... and skinny arms!
We both have been passionately involved in this Leprosy Project.
Indonesia belongs to the 3 billion people on this earth that have people that make less than US $ 2.00 per day. How would a leprosy patient who is also an outcast, make enough money to afford any surgery?
As if two affected hands would not be enough... look at his foot!
Showing you that due to this infection, the entire leg becomes swollen.
This man's feet are also affected... They are not able to wear shoes with such severely disfigured feet and thus they are even more prone to infection and open wounds.
November 20, 1999, I am holding here the hand of a poor man who lost already one hand and half of the other one... Seen is only his thumb and his palm; fingers are gone! Just imagine having to live like that!
People in the Western world complain about poverty but that is a far cry from those 3 billion, making LESS than US $ 2.00 a day. They cannot afford anything.
Because Leprosy still has this Stigma about it, people that have the initial signs of this dreaded disease from biblical times, hide...
This young woman is lucky for having come to the hospital with her skin rash that is the beginning of Leprosy. Usually those untreated, loose their nose and part of their face and turn blind as well.
above text is from the Dutch Leprastichting.
Sure, from the comments I received, there might be the need for providing some figures about annual new cases of leprosy world wide. In 1997 that was 600,000 annual and in 2010 less than 250,000 but keep in mind the millions that became disfigured because of leprosy!
The Dutch Leprastichting (Leprosy foundation) link also tells us about the human rights issues for ex leprosy and leprosy sufferers.
Did you know that the Leprosy foundation in The Netherlands receives money from De Nationale Postcode Loterij (The National Zipcode Lottery) and since 1996 they received 19.5 million Euro for the Leprastichting.
Let us not turn away from those pour souls and educate others to tackle the harsh Leprosy Stigma and Ostracism!
