Leprosy is found all over the world – sometimes even in Australia. It is most common in places of poverty.
Leprosy can attack and destroy the nerves in the body, especially in the hands, feet and face resulting in loss of feeling and/or function. Stigma and discrimination exist in many countries. Fear of rejection by family and friends prevents people seeking diagnosis and treatment early on. That puts them at higher risk of nerve damage and irreversible disability.
The leprosy bacteria can attack the eyes and the eyelids causing paralysis. If patients cannot close their eyes, debris and insects can easily enter and cause damage, eventually leading to permanent blindness.
Bina’s life in Nepal used to follow a set routine. She’d wake-up her two boys, feed them, dress them. She would pack them lunch boxes with the little she had been able to buy from the savings she had from her husband’s work in India. Then she’d send them to school. The time while the children were at school was taken up with all the household chores. She would wonder how her sons would get on in life. But that was before Bina started showing signs of leprosy.
Thankfully, people like you support early active case finding activities in her area. Bina was quickly diagnosed with leprosy and has completed Multi-Drug Therapy (the cure for leprosy).
$350
12967
What a joy to enable a family affected by leprosy or disability to open a small kiosk, with all the supplies and training they need. The kiosk is suited for those with mobility limitations, affected by leprosy. Providing a social outlet that encourages greater community involvement.
Supported by the Australian Government
As part of your Integrated Mobilisation of People for Active Community Transformation (IMPACT) project Bina joined a local Self-Help Group [pictured].
The project organised regular training sessions in livelihoods for Self-Help Groups. Business studies was one of them. This changed Bina’s world forever!
After one training on how to make an effective business plan, Bina started toying with the idea of starting her own business. Bina applied for a ‘seed money’ loan that was available through the group and started a small grocery shop.
The IMPACT project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). Thanks to you and the ANCP, this project is able to help improve the wellbeing of people affected by leprosy and disability in Nepal.
Much of what Bina earned was re-invested in the shop. She continued adding more items when she could. She also spent more in her children’s education. After a few years, both of Bina’s sons successfully completed high school. The importance of their education wasn’t lost on them. One pursued his career in teaching while the other now works at a local bank.
Bina continued her work with the shop and added a few assets to her name. Both of Bina’s sons married and had children of their own. Bina’s husband came back from India and started helping her manage supplies for the shop.
Today, Bina still follows a set routine. But it is a very different one. She now wakes up to her grandchildren asking her for a treat! She grabs some chocolates from her shop and hands it to them. As they go on about their day, Bina opens the shop and waits for her customers. Every now and then her neighbours pay a visit. A group can be seen in-front of the shop laughing and chatting. But the most constant thing in all this, is Bina’s smile. No matter who she is talking to, Bina always has a smile on her face. A smile that doesn’t fade throughout her day. And it’s all because of the kindness of people like you! Thank you!
Thank you for choosing to Shop to Stop Leprosy.
Your Integrated Mobilisation of People for Active Community Transformation (IMPACT) project in Nepal supports people in their recovery from leprosy, helps them obtain sustainable livelihoods and increases their inclusion in society. In addition, the IMPACT project also provides health education on water and sanitation hygiene, COVID-19 awareness, and education on gender-based violence to Self-Help Groups and their communities. The IMPACT project’s support of Self-Help Groups has resulted in many people with improved livelihoods, meaningful employment and increased inclusion in their communities.
$15 $500
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Poor sanitation and hygiene lead to increased risk of health issues. Diseases like leprosy thrive in such conditions. Your gift educates school children about safe water, hygiene and sanitation practices to pass onto their families. Understanding hand washing with soap saves countless lives.
12647
Help someone affected by leprosy recover the use of their fingers, feet or limbs. Your gift will help teach patients the right muscle exercises or how to manage aids or prosthetics.
11284
$10
This gift will set up a poultry business. Eggs provide a family with extra protein, vitamins and minerals in their diet. Any surplus can be sold in the market creating a regular income.
“I appreciate physiotherapy for my hands and it is good to know others can be helped this way too.” – Brian & Rosemary
11292
$100
This ‘Gift of Love’ allows a person with a disability to be mobile, so they can go out to school or work and socialise. This independence and self-reliance is priceless!
“This is a good opportunity to give something to others. My own grandson is wheelchair bound so I know how important it is to be mobile.” – leonie
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$40
12966
$50
Your gift will help realise the dream of a trade for a person affected by leprosy. This gift includes all the tools they need to start working and earning, along with essential training.
Help a woman affected by leprosy prepare for her new baby. Bless her with a newborn kit containing clothes, towels and baby soap. Your gift will also provide micro-nutrient and food supplements. Keeping both mum and bub healthy through pregnancy and post-delivery.
$100
Vocational Training
11295
Assist a young person affected by leprosy to train in a practical vocation that will empower them with financial independence.
It was Nagajothi’s mother, Bakkyo, who was the first to be diagnosed with leprosy. It was only during one of Bakkyo’s hospital check-ups, that a consultant noticed a few symptoms of leprosy in Nagajothi too.
Nagajothi was only 14 years old. Her face was swollen, and she had painful rashes on her hands. Her parents had no idea that she had contracted leprosy too.
Their large family has been living in close quarters in India for many years. (Over 50% of all the leprosy cases in the world are in India.)
They live in a one-storey makeshift home of just two rooms. It makes do as a kitchen, living area and bedroom. The ‘house’ is in the village where Bakkyo grew up. They returned there after they couldn’t afford the rent elsewhere on her husband’s low-wage labourer income.
$335
Accommodation & Food
12290
Support young students by giving the gift of food and accommodation. Away from their families, and not yet earning income, your gifts are vital so they can graduate.
Bakkyo hand rolls firecrackers to try and make ends meet. But it depends on how many she can make. Approximately 144 rolls means earning five rupees (less than 10 Australian cents). She works from 6am to 6pm every day. Thankfully, firecrackers are popular around their area. There are lots of shops that want to buy them for sale.
Bakkyo becomes emotional when talking about the pressures of trying to earn enough money. Nagajothi’s mental health has also declined due to the stigma and financial burden her illness has put on her family. Their family has experienced rejection from their wider family and community.
“I remember the behaviour of our relatives and neighbours changing and feeling very hopeless. I was very young and confused.” - Nagajothi
“I even have an uncle who won’t allow us to attend things. We’re not allowed to go. They separate themselves from us.”
GOOD NEWS! Now 18, Nagajothi sees a brighter future for herself. And it’s all thanks to people like you! Thanks to your support she is studying to be an electrician at The Leprosy Mission’s Vadathorasalur Vocational Training Centre (VTC).
“At first, I chose electrical training as it was a job in high demand here. But as I‘ve continued studying, I’ve started to like it more.
Once when I was visiting home, I fixed the lights and a few electrical sockets, and it made me so happy. My mother was also pleasantly surprised. She thinks I did a better job than if someone else had done it. She’s very proud of me.”
“I want to become a self-employed electrician. But I’m planning to get a government job first.”
She wants to help encourage other young people like her to get training, particularly young women, and others with leprosy too – to show them that this is possible.
Bakkya also becomes emotional
when talking about how much more confident her daughter has become, the pride she has in her daughter now and how much brighter her future is; “Nagajothi has changed. She’s much more confident and happier. I now believe that she will get a good job... and build us a good home.”
Bakkya believes that the community around them will accept them again and not look reject them and look down on them anymore.
Thank you for giving your gifts of love to students affected by leprosy like Nagajothi.
Photo Credit: Sabrina Dangol“With this education, I will change the world, I’m telling you.”
- Nagajothi
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Do you remember Sameer from India? Does he look familiar to you?
You may have seen him in a previous catalogue, on social media or even on TV! He was featured in 2022’s global campaign to “Make Ending Leprosy Your Legacy”.
Sameer originally felt the first signs of leprosy a few years ago when his left leg felt numb and he discovered a few skin patches on his body. He would also lose grip of his slip-on shoes while walking. His parents finally took him to a clinic where he was officially diagnosed with leprosy.
Due to the weakness in his legs, he wouldn’t go out and play with his friends. The frequent visits and follow-ups at the hospital meant he couldn’t concentrate on his studies like he had before. He was increasingly absent from school. He felt depressed and hopeless.
When Sameer and his family knew he would be receiving surgery and medical care from The Leprosy Mission (TLM) the relief they felt was immense. And like for all leprosy patients treated through The Leprosy Mission, it would be at no cost to the family – what a blessing! They all felt he would get “the best treatment and very soon he will live a normal life”. They had heard a lot of positive feedback from former patients of TLM.
THE LATEST NEWS! Thanks to the support of people like you, over the last year, Sameer has had three reconstructive surgeries to correct deformities
caused by leprosy in his left hand, left foot, and right hand. The surgeries had to happen in phases, to allow him the time to heal from the previous surgery.
After the first two successful surgeries, Sameer was able to walk again and use his left hand to button his shirt, hold objects and even play board games!
After the second surgery, Sameer had initially expressed reluctance to undergo the third surgery (on his right hand) as the post-operative recovery is tedious. However, his family and the staff at The Leprosy Mission hospital successfully counselled him and prepared him for his right-hand surgery.
His surgery has been successful and currently, he is undergoing daily physiotherapy and selfcare. According to the doctors treating him, he should now be able to go on with his life with no deformity whatsoever. Praise God!
Sameer’s message to the compassionate supporters who have provided the funds to The Leprosy Mission so they can help him and other people like him is: “God bless you!”
Transform the life of one person affected by leprosy. Your gift is a package of healing and hope. It provides diagnosis, treatment with medicine to cure plus medical care where needed. You will have cured one person, like Sameer, affected by leprosy and helped them through their Multi-Drug Therapy.
12965
$20
Help a person with a disability to receive Occupational Therapy so they can go about their day with increased mobility and ease. Your gift will help patients adapt to living at home, studying or working with a disability.
12652
$250
Clawed hand and foot drop are leprosy-caused disabilities which can be corrected. However, not all surgeons and hospitals have the skill to provide surgery to cure this. This gift will ensure a patient with this surgery to enable them to move their fingers and grip again or to use their feet and walk!
When you buy a Gift of Love your love is changing lives!
YES! I want to help someone with my Gifts of Love!
I want to help cure and care for someone with my Gifts of Love below...
When you give a Gift of Love through The Leprosy Mission Australia, you will receive a gift card for the item donated. You can keep it or pass on to someone else to show that you have given it on their behalf. The cards do not mention the price of your gift. For Birthdays, Anniversaries, Christmas or any other special occasion, celebrate by giving your friends and family a life changing ‘Gift of Love’ on their behalf!
Choose and purchase your Gift of Love.
You will receive a card as a keepsake for yourself or for the friend/family member you have purchased the gift on behalf of.
Your gift goes to support people affected by leprosy overseas.
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543 Privacy Statement –Your personal details will be stored on our secure database and will not be passed onto a third party. See www.leprosymission.org.au. If the area of need becomes funded, your gift will go where it’s needed most.
When you shop online at our website, you have the option to send a gift e-card in an email or you can print your own card and give it to someone you love!
You also have the option to purchase a Gift of Love for someone in need as a recurring subscription, such as a monthly or quarterly basis!* This can be cancelled at anytime on your account.
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We will keep you informed about the impact of your support, other news of our work and other opportunities to help people affected by leprosy, which may be of interest to you. If you do not wish to receive this information, please contact us on 1800 537 767. When you buy a Gift of Love, you are making a tax-deductible donation to an actual TLMA project. The dollar value listed for each gift is an estimation of how much this part of the project costs. Your donation funds this part, along with other vital activities of that project. If we can’t use the money for the specific item you buy, it will go to an associated program. Countries that benefit from your Gift of Love are projects that you support in Timor Leste, Indonesia, India, Nigeria and Nepal.
of Love® is a registered trademark of The Leprosy Mission Australia and may not be used by any means or in any form whatsoever without written permission.
In the past year, among the new leprosy cases registered in the Jhapa region of Nepal, it was identified that 43% of those were in children. This is significantly higher than the national average of 7%.
New leprosy cases amongst children indicates active transmission of leprosy in a community.
Your urgent gift of love today will help stop leprosy spreading. You will prevent permanent damage and disability.
The leprosy bacteria can attack the nerves in the feet and hands, causing them to become numb. Nasty ulcers can form, and fingers can ‘claw’. This not only disables a child’s activities; the stigma and teasing can become unbearable. You can stop this before it starts!
Educating school communities on leprosy helps find and treat cases early. Awareness for staff, parents and students ensures the whole community learns about leprosy. They understand the importance of treating children before permanent disability results.
Children can start treatment straight away and need
not drop out of school. After 24-48 hours of starting the leprosy medication, they are no longer contagious.
But Arjun’s diagnosis came too late. The disease had already left him with devastating effects.
The fingers of his left hand had clawed, and he had muscle loss in his left big toe. He had not been to school for 2 years because of his condition.
Arjun’s father had taken him to various clinics and hospitals over the last few years. They tried different treatments. But no-one they went to was able to diagnose him or treat him.
Arjun was finally found by our partner Nepal Leprosy Fellowship (NLF). They were back in his area conducting screening activities. They referred Arjun to the local government health clinic. There he began Multi-Drug Therapy immediately.
The IMPACT project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). Thanks to supporters like you and ANCP, this project is able to help improve the wellbeing of people affected by leprosy and disability in Nepal.
$200
13883
Educating school communities on leprosy helps find and treat cases early. Your gift is delivered through an awareness program to staff, parents and students. The whole community will learn about leprosy and the importance of treating children quickly to end transmission and before permanent disability can result.
He received counselling and referred to a self-care group. All thanks to the support of people like you and an Australian Government grant.
He learned how to treat his wounds by himself. He received a bucket to wash his feet and hands and petroleum jelly for self-care exercises. And a pair of protective shoes.
Now 18, Arjun has started back at school. He can now get on with his education and have hope for a better future.
You can show your love to another student like Arjun TODAY. Your gift will target schools with leprosy education, screening and contact tracing.
Your gift will find and treat students like Arjun so they can go back to school and cured of leprosy. Please donate your Gift of Love School Screening now, before it’s too late. God bless you for your caring heart!
The Jhapa Leprosy Reduction project particularly focusses on decreasing child leprosy cases in 6 municipalities in Nepal. In partnership with the Ministry of Health, and in collaboration with local health workers, schools participate in leprosy screening and awareness education. Teachers, school nurses, students, and the student’s parents, are included. Detected cases undergo comprehensive contact tracing and follow up. In addition, communities of previously known leprosy cases are screened to detect any cases that may be outside the school community.
Your shopping gives hope, healing and dignity to someone with Leprosy!
$30
12623
A daily self-care routine is a must for people managing the effects of leprosy. You can provide a pack of necessities to cleanse and protect them each and every day.
You can give a life-changing Gift of Love! $60
$10
12970
Cultivating bees produces honey for nutrition, which can also be sold for income. Bees are also vital for pollination of flowers, forests and crops. Help a person affected by leprosy or disability, and their wider community, benefit from bees by providing beehive essentials. What a sweet gift!
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In hospitals, sanitary bedding and clothing for leprosy patients are essential and need regular changing. Your gift provides patients with fresh linen to help keep them comfortable, fresh and healthy during their stay.
12624
$150
Transform the lives of those who have lost limbs by providing lifelike prosthetics. Give them the gift of increased agility and independence to help them walk again.
11286
$15
Leprosy can lead to a loss of feeling in the feet, and cause permanent damage. Your gift will provide shoes to protect vulnerable feet.
“I am very pleased to support this initiative which helps a person to keep their feet safe and give them some freedom to be able to walk. A very worthwhile gift.” – Rosemary
12843
$200
Healing from leprosy isn’t always straightforward. Around 1 in 3 leprosy patients experience a complication called “reaction”. In severe cases, it’s incredibly debilitating, requiring steroid treatments and hospital stays. Your gift helps provide treatment and food supplements.
“As a keeper of native bees myself and a lover of all bees, I think this is a brilliant idea for a start up business gift.” – Loraine
$250
11296
Your gift of a buffalo is a great asset for subsistence farmers. It can do the hard work of tilling the ground for crops and can provide transport as well as milk and cheese. That’s labour, food, transport and extra income for a family.
12622
Support the load of those disabled by leprosy by providing a walking stick, cane or crutch. Your gift of safety and stability helps them back on their feet.
11287
$50
One goat provides much needed milk and cheese for a family. With two or more goats and training in animal husbandry, a family can have a sustainable income.
“People need animals and they are a part of God’s creation. Teaching others to help themselves and being respectful looking after God’s creation is how we will move forward.” – Alison
13793
$800 $75 $10
12842
11574
Piglets grow very quickly and are easy to look after. For people affected by leprosy or disability with mobility issues, pig farming is a viable way to earn a living. One piglet can fertilise the veggie patch and be sold at market for a good price.
Many communities don’t have toilets. Poor sanitation leads to sickness and disease. In particular it can affect babies and young children. Your gift can provide many people with a healthier lifestyle. It can lead to increased school attendance and improved work opportunities.
Providing soap is essential for the skin care and prevention of infection for people affected by leprosy. Soap improves hygiene and helps reduce the incidence of preventable diseases in poor communities.
$400
13822
You can give the gift of dignity and relieve a basic human need for another person with a disability. Your gift of an accessible toilet provides a person with a disability a toilet, built for their specific needs, ensuring they can access a toilet near their home that is clean and safe.
11289
12841
$200
Whole communities can benefit from a health worker trained in leprosy detection and treatment. Your gift will provide the knowledge a healthcare worker needs to understand and help fight this complex disease.
$1,000 $120
12897
Schools often turn away children from leprosy affected families. The Leprosy Mission works hard to open school doors. Leprosy makes life in poverty difficult. Families cannot usually afford school materials. But your Gifts of Love help them afford a uniform, books and pens.
12289
$25
Enable a student affected by leprosy to attend and participate in activities at a Vocational Training Centre by providing a uniform. Properly clothed, they can fit in with other students. You give the gift of belonging.
“It’s always good to know where the money is going and I’m happy such a small gift can make a great impact.” – Anne
Healthcare clinics in Nigeria often run without basic facilities. No toilets, proper electrical wiring or secure roofing. Chairs, desks and shelving for medication are also desperately required. Your gift provides the essentials to operate and also access ramps for people affected by leprosy and disability.
12291
$100
Give the priceless gift of sight with eye surgery for a leprosy patient. Leprosy-damaged nerves in and around eyes can lead to blindness. Your gift will help restore their vision so they can see a brighter future!
$20
Imagine if your eyes could never fully close. Tiny specks of dust and dirt could cause infection, irritation and blindness. That can happen when leprosy damages the eye’s nerve endings. Sunglasses are a simple but effective way to protect eyes and save sight.
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People affected by leprosy often face discrimination and stigma. Counselling helps them to overcome their feelings of rejection. This is provided through the hospitals we support in India and projects in Nepal.
$15
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People affected by leprosy and disability are sadly often the most at risk and last to be helped in a natural disaster. Your gift will help us train a community in disability-inclusive ways to prepare for disaster, and will help form a committee and stockpile essentials.
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The Leprosy Mission Australia ABN 52 354 004 543 (TLMA) is a member of the Australian Council for International Development and is a signatory to the ACFID Code of Conduct. The Code requires members to meet high standards of corporate governance, public accountability, and financial management.
TLMA is committed to full adherence to the ACFID Code of Conduct. More information about the ACFID Code of Conduct may be obtained from The Leprosy Mission Australia website: www.leprosymission.org.au or ACFID’s website: www.acfid.asn.au.
The Leprosy Mission Australia is an international organisation that works in partnership with governments, public health officials, non-government organisations, the World Health Organisation, churches, Christian partners and others to achieve its vision of a world without leprosy. The Leprosy Mission is the oldest and largest leprosy-focused organisation in the world today.
Gifts of Love® is a registered trademark of The Leprosy Mission Australia and may not be used by any means or in any form whatsoever without written permission.
