MESH celebrated World Leprosy Day
A non-profit organization MESH (Maximising Employment to Serve the Handicapped) commemorated World Leprosy Day on Saturday January 30th. "Whilst there is now a greater understanding that leprosy is curable many people remain uncertain about employing or mixing with people affected by leprosy." says Jacky Bonney Executive Secretary in MESH.
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Shoppers and weavers on the World Leprosy day celebration - MESH shop
-- "Whilst there is now a greater understanding that leprosy is curable many people remain uncertain about employing or mixing with people affected by leprosy." says Jacky Bonney Executive Secretary in MESH.
World Leprosy day is celebrated to foster understanding about leprosy and bring about feelings of solidarity for people affected by leprosy who are still dealing with social stigma and discrimination.
All the visitors of the MESH's programme could watch a film documentary about Bharat Mata Kusht Ashram a colony of people affected by leprosy "Towards Dawn" directed by Priti Choundhry and Natraj Khanna.
Everybody also had a chance to see how MESH works with leprosy affected artisans. Bonney says "The founders of MESH started work first in a leprosy colony north of Delhi, the focus was on finding work for the members who were not welcome to work anywhere else and also to find education opportunities for their children. The first work was chicken rearing and later weaving, activities that soon spread to other colonies in and around Delhi. Now MESH buys handicraft products from leprosy affected artisans and other disabled people around India. We provide design support, guidance in all aspects of fair trade and then sell the products from our shops in Delhi and Hyderabad and by export around the world. "
Mr. KamaRaj Devapitchai National Consultant - Rehabilitation and Social Perspectives for Leprosy comments:
"Marketing products made by people affected by leprosy/disabilities is a big challenge. MESH plays an important link between the disabled artisans and the consumer at large. New strategies are needed to promote domestic market in India. The current work needs scaling up to bring about significant change in the lives of people affected by leprosy/disabilities."
Leprosy affected artisans from the Faridabad leprosy colony Bharat Mata Kusht Ashram came to the MESH celebration to show their beautiful wowen tea towels, bed spreads and table clothes which were part of the Exhibition and Sale of products made by leprosy affected artisans.
Amongst the visitors was Amelia Bandlish who said " it was nice to meet weavers from Bharat Mata Kusht Ashram and find out more about their lives, would they be willing to receive visitors from the ex-pat community in their colony from time to time?"
MESH (Maximising Employment to Serve the Handicapped) is an Indian NGO practicing fair trade with about 40 groups of disabled artisans and people affected by leprosy. Registered with The World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) MESH is committed to the ten standards of Fair Trade. MESH sells artisans' products in two shops - in New Delhi and Hyderabad.
For more information have a look at our website http://www.mesh.org.in
Leprosy in India
By December 2005 India had achieved the goal of elimination of leprosy as a public health problem (i.e. prevalence of less than 1 case per 10,000 population) through a concerted effort of survey, detection and treatment. In the last decade 11 million people have been cured of the disease, many of those cured face social and economic difficulties as a result of having had leprosy. They also remain at risk of further disability so the current focus in India is for further integration of leprosy services in the General Health Care system and continuing and strengthening of the Deformity Prevention and Medical Rehabilitation Program for patients deformed by the disease.
