Today was the last day at the leprosy hospital. We were able to see where and how they made specialized therapy equipment and shoes for people affected by this debilitating disease. We also were able to visit one of the patient wards. In the United States we really don't deal with leprosy, it isn't very contagious and very easily treatable, but the stigma associated with it still causes people to cringe. Even in India were the majority of the world's cases live, the disease will soon be eradicated. The causitive bacteria has no other host than humans and does not survive on growth media. So, if all the people with leprosy are cured then no one can be infected. Unfortunately this doesn't erase the gruesome and pitiful disfigurement resulting from lack of proper care. It is the stigma that causes these poor people to be ostracized by society.







I thought about posting a picture I took inside the patient ward but decided against it. It felt as if I was making a spectacle of their condition. Dehumanizing them in a way. Besides, the kindness of this place, and the sheer beauty of the facilities is a better reflection of what I learned than a photograph of mutilated limbs. Acworth used to house up to 500 patients at a time. Now the few who remain do so temporarily for treatment or because their deformities impede autonomy and their families have disowned them. They recieve shelter, treatment, food and community support through the hospital, and are given a much better life than what they would recieve outside.








If you are lucky in Mumbai, you live like this.





















If you're unlucky, you live on the side of the road.



















Too many live in slums, plagued by overpopulation and decent shelter.