Pratap Das Manikpur, who lives in Indira leprosy Colony, Janjgir Champa in Chattisgarh, one of the largest leprosy settlements in the country has successfully conquered the disease after taking MDT (Multi-Drug Therapy) course. But tackling the stigma associated with the crippling disease was not easy for him.
So, four years ago, when he along with his colony mates were approached by the Sasakawa-India Leprosy Foundation(S-ILF), offering fund for the business they would like to opt for livelihood, he was apprehensive. “The fund had to be returned. We were not sure if we would be able to do earn on our own, given that we had been into begging all these years.”
However, the S-ILF State leader Vijay Masih motivated them to take up the DJ project-music and tent services. Masih explains, "There are around 37 colonies in the State. We thought to catering to the events like marriages, birthdays and other gatherings in these cohorts. The results were positive."
Hence, what was initially restricted within the community, the Indira Colony DJ Sound services comprised of 12 members has gradually spread its wings.
"Contrary to our expectations, we are now getting orders from outside our colonies as well Our competitive rates coupled with increasing awareness about the disease, has helped us," smiles Das who now leads the group. Clearly, societal attitude towards the leprosy is changing, though at a snail pace.
"Also, earlier marriages were restricted within the leprosy colonies but now our kids are getting matrimonial proposals from outside the colonies too and vice versa," said Das who was in the national capital to attend an event organised by the S-ILF to recognize their efforts.
Today the DJ group has expanded, providing catering services too, taken care by women members. "We are now planning to venture into tent services also. Ultimate aim is to become an event management company-providing all music/tent/ catering and food services under one platform," says Das whose group is comprised of his brethren Chhatram, Moharmati, Pradeep, Dukhi ram, Shakuntala Dashmukh, Rameshwari,Budhiyarin, Rajkumar, Janta Lal and Ganeshu. Empathy budgets empathy :a portion of the earning is kept to meet the medical needs of the elders in the colonies.
Similar is the story of leprosy-cured Anita and her gang running vegetable and paddy cultivation project, an all women venture, in Janjgir-Champa in Chhattisgarh.
The group comprised of Anju Kevat, Sarasvati Gond, Savannah Bai, Ram Bai, Rita Patel, Santosho Satnami and Ramsheela Bai has taken on lease four acres of land in the region where they once worked as labourers. S-ILF extended helping hand by providing fund to the tune of Rs 2,21,000.
As intelligent farmers, the all-women group has opted for cultivating a variety of crops to minimize the risk of flood and silting. They ensured that all the land was fully cultivated in all season. Though they did most of the work themselves they have hired labourers during the peak season. Their dream is to cultivate their own land one day, shared Anita.
Thousands kilometer away from Anita's home, Bharatamma and her group-- VJ Vejibabu, A Shanker Rao, S Satyanarayana, A Subba Rao, D Subba Rao, K Rajya Lakhsmi, K Mani and K Kumaritoo are busy scripting similar success story in Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh with financial support of Rs 1,33,000 from the S-ILF. Her business partners have now quit begging.
Bharatamma was affected by the disease when she was in her teens and at a time when stigmatisation of lepers was at its peak. But it was past. Thanks to the S-ILF that, today her group's annual earning stands around Rs 65,000, she beams.
"The 'Rising to Dignity' awards aims to recognize the efforts of the persons affected with the disease and encourage others to follow the suite, says Vineeta Shanker from the S-ILF.
The idea is to encourage them to quit begging and engage into dignified means of income generation. Awareness and early detection is key to ending the prevalence of the dreaded disease. Presently about 1.3 lakh people are afflicted with leprosy, she says.