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What is Leprosy?In developed countries with adequate sanitation and medical practices Leprosy is nearly unheard of. In underdeveloped and developing third world countries throughout Southeast Asia and other parts of the world, Leprosy is a fairly common occurance. For hundreds of years those afflicted with Leprosy where shunned from the joys of daily social life. It caused strange deformations and lesions that were a result of bacterial infections which affected the skin and nervous system. Leprosy is a communicable disease that can be easily spread and has an incubation period as long as 3 years. Because of fear of the unknown, and the physical deformations that were caused by untreated Leprosy that led to skin infections of the lesions, people where ostracized because of their physical appearance.With today’s medications great strides are being made to eradicate the disease, but the social stigma still remains. Outreach Asia has helped to support hospitals, clinics, and outpatient programs that allow leprosy patients to be healthy, productive people again. These medical programs start by providing a Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) which after several doses, depending on the severity of the bacterial infection, will cure the disease. These programs further address the issue by educating villagers on the cause and prevention of Leprosy through proper hygiene, good nutrition, and proper sanitation. Leprosy Programs – PhilippinesOutreach Asia supports a Hansenite (Leprosy) hospital in Pasobolong, Philippines, on the island of Mindanao. Patients who are cured by regiment of MDT’s, are able to leave the hospital, but are outcasts in the community and unable to find work because of the social stigma attached to the disease. The Dominican Sisters own a large parcel of land that provides the cured patients a place to live. They build small bamboo houses and for their livelihood, they grow mangos, rice and raise pigs. In 2000, Outreach Asia funded their first pig raising project and in 2000, completed a second pig project and a large chicken coop. 45 families are now living on the land in this community and the new livestock programs will give these families the additional income and means to support themselves and allow their children to attend schools. During a visit to this new farming community of former Leprosy patients in November of 2003, we added a second computer for the staff and students to use. While the volunteers from Outreach Asia were there, the families expressed their great joy on being able to raise livestock. On March 21st, 2004 the J. Homer Butler Foundation graciously awarded Outreach Asia with a grant that allowed us to bring the second "Livestock Livelihood Project" from a dream to reality. The entire staff of Outreach Asia would like to thank the J. Homer Butler Foundation for their support on this project, you have our sincerest appreciation and gratitude. THANK YOU!
The Missionary Dominican Sisters have been working with
the families with leprosy in Pasobolong, Zamboanga City, Philippines. The Sisters take care of the spiritual needs of
these families and other families living in poverty around the leprosy hospital. However, from the very beginning,
they came to terms with the reality that it is not enough to work with the spiritual aspect of these people. Every day they
came to them with their problems. It is in this premise that the sisters decided to come up with a "livelihood"
project that would help uplift their economic life so as to sustain their basic needs. With the support of Outreach Asia and
it's donars, the chicken coop shown above will provide a job for 12 families afflicted with leprosy whom could not
find a descent job outside due to the marks of the disease. This project will also boost their morale and it will give them
a sense of confidence that they can still do something to make them productive and improve the status of their life. Thank
you for your donations to make this project possible.
As with the chicken coop project , another livelihood
project The Dominican Sisters oversee are the pig raising projects. Outreach Asia has funded two pig raising projects
which support over 40 families who have the leprosy disease. The latest project was completed in 2004 and it consists
of 40 new pigs, a building, canal and initial feed.
A portion of the harvest by the former Leprosy patients and their families is used to provide a nutritous daily meal. Approx. 40+ children benefit from this meal each morning at 6am. These children have parents or close relatives who have "Positive Leprosy" (The patient can leave the hospital, but has not been completely cured and must still take medication). With this one nutritious daily meal, these children will have strong, healthy immune systems and have a good chance of not contracting the Leprosy disease from their relatives. This is a wonderful project that Outreach Asia will always continue to support. Testimonials: Dear Outreach Asia,
God is so mercyful that he had given us this project. Pig Project from the assistance of Outreach Asia. Thank you very much
of this blessing. With this project it will help us to be productive even though we are patients. It is a great help for the
education of our children, for their medicines. So, thank you very much. More Power and God Bless to all of you! Winnie Bradecina Dear Outreach Asia, I'm Mario
Ayag a resident of Mindanao Central Sanitarium. I'm a patient with 3 children. I'm thankful of this project granted to us
by Outreach Asia. It is a piggery project that will help us sustain the needs of our families. With this project we will be
able to send our children to school. Thank you very much for the help of Outreach Asia to help us to become self
reliant because it's not forever that we will depend from outside help. Mario Ayag Dear Outreach Asia, How are you? With God's mercy we are in good hands.
I am Gina Pajente, one of the members of the Pig Project. For a long time we had been dreaming of this project and with the
help of God, now we were able to have it through the assistance of Outreach Asia. Thank you very much to all the donors of
OutreachAsia. We will value and take care of this project for our own good. Gina Pajente
The over 50 people with leprosy have little to do
while they are in the hospital waiting to be cured. Most lay in their beds 24 hours a day. When Outreach Asia staff toured
the hospital in 1996, we decided to purchase a T.V. so the men and women patients could watch some evening programs. It's
a big hit! In 2003, we added a VCR so they could watch some Philippine Movies. Help us continue to brighten their day by donating
to purchase extra movies for the patients to watch.
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