Julie and I have now been here in India for a week. During this time we have been preparing for the training programme with eight to ten leaders from the leprosy village we have been helping to support for the past three years. They are all volunteers and seem keen to participate. We are just hoping that they will be able to learn enough to enable them to be a real help and a blessing to their fellow leprosy sufferers.
We have a simple and very practical programme design. Julie will teach them how to care for and protect their eyes, hands and feet from injuries so that they do not get so many infections and damage to the soles of their feet and toes and their fingers and hands. People with leprosy often lose all sensation in the nerves that feed the feet, hands and face. This means that they injure themselves when walking barefoot or handling cooking pots and fires etc. We brought sunglasses and eye masks from the UK (donated by supporters) and last week we sourced and bought 100 plastic bowls for soaking hands and feet two or three times daily; and also a source of petroleum jelly for lubricating and softening the skin.
Everything takes much longer here than it would in UK but we are now ready to begin the training tomorrow (Monday 25th). We visited the village on Friday to speak to the people and introduce Julie who will be conducting the training. Our trainees will travel to our base in Tenali by train each day. We are praying that they will have the necessary motivation to make that journey and be part of this prevention of disability initiative.
There is still much to be done before we leave India. One thing is to make contact with the local leprosy specialists at the hospital in Guntur. It looks as if there might be some new cases among the children and this will have to be investigated and treatment started and supervised. This will come under the auspices of our mobile clinic once diagnosis has been made and drug therapy commenced.
Another issue is footwear. Most of the village people walk barefoot and it is no wonder that they get terrible infections in their feet. Once they start soaking and oiling their skin it will soften and therefore barefoot walking will be extra hazardous. We are hoping to meet with an orthotist here who can advise on suitable shoes for those with badly deformed feet. For the others, who still have toes, we may have to be satisfied with flip-flops which at least will give some protection to the soles of their feet.
- Safe road travel so far. Indian roads are very hazardous.
- For the team spirit that has developed between Julie, myself and Sudheer’s people.
- The willingness of the leprosy affected people to participate in the training.
- For the provision of resources locally.
Please pray for:
- The one week training programme beginning Monday 25th June; that people will come
- For David and Krupa who will translate for us
- For access to the specialist leprosy unit at the general hospital in Guntur; hat we will be able to get relevant advice and support
- For the suspected new leprosy cases among the children in the village – that they may receive appropriate drug therapy
- For access to appropriate specialist footwear for the worst cases
- That the trainees absorb the teaching and will be able to transmit it to their fellows in the village at the practical test next week.
- For Julie and Hazel’s health and strength – the climate is exceedingly hot and humid and there is much road travel to endure.
We both thank you for your prayers – without them this mission would not be possible.
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