Nabakuthashram Leprosy Village
One of our local villages is Nabakuthashram, a village of elderly people who have leprosy.
While there is now treatment available to prevent the development of leprosy, the effects are still there, and ongoing medication and treatment is needed. Prabhat Alloi has provided a lot of support for the residents over time, with a ‘friends of Nabakuthashram’ group helping with housing and pathway maintenance, provision of food, household items and solar lighting, and by overall extending friendship to the people here who have been isolated and shunned by society at large.
The Nabakuthashram residents have chosen not to return to their home villages after having been ousted many years ago due to their fearful infectious condition. There are over thirty residents, who have now at last been given recognition of their need by the government, after years of having been supported solely by Prabhat Alloi and caring residents of nearby villagers. They now have their own medicine centre, with two nurses attending every day.
Life has been very difficult for these people in this village, and continues to be as they struggle with their illness. These amazingly resilient people, however, are growing their own food (they even won a local competition for growing the biggest pumpkin!) and raising herds of goats, generally doing whatever they can to take care of themselves. They are well supported now by locals, government and colleagues of Tinku’s from his old school days at Rama Krishna Mission School, who recently held a new year’s day feast in the village, complete with spiritual music, dancing and singing – a truly joyful and inspirational occasion!
