Your Impact
Your incredible donations in 2024 have made such an impact
As we look back over the reports from 2024 our hearts are filled with thankfulness for all that has been done.Your kindness and support means the world to us. Truly thank you for standing with The Leprosy Mission andremembering those affected by leprosy.In 2024 funds raised from TLM Northern Ireland were used to provide partial support for projects in Ethiopia, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh and Nepal as well as the global work of TLM International. Totals can be found on the infographic to the right, but for the full report with all the details please read our report online at www.tlm-ni.org/what-we-do/about-us/staff-and-board
Your support has transformed livesHere are just two stories of persons affected by leprosy who have been helped thanks to your support this year. There are so many more, the headline figures show the impact!
ETHIOPIAYeniebizu is a wife and mother in Ethiopia and her story embodies the challenges faced by many women in her community. When she first noticed the early signs of leprosy Yeniebizu tried to treat it herself with creams.When that proved ineffective she went to various health facilities but was misdiagnosed and given ineffectivetreatments. Thankfully the team from TLM Ethiopia came to her region as part of the Dare to Dream project. She was screened and diagnosed with leprosy. If she had been found earlier she could have been saved from the injuries she had acquired as the numbness spread.
One difficulty in Yeniebizu’s region is the false belief that illnesses are caused by a hidden sin. This causes shame and stigma, preventing Yeniebizu from getting the help she needed. She says “in my community people like me are given a name, it means ‘the disease of the outcast.’” As a woman Yeniebizu carries the burden of thehousehold. She works tirelessly for her family but leprosy has caused great damage to her body, affecting her grip and numbing her hands. Your support has meant Yeniebizu was able to get the right diagnosis and treatment but there is more to be done.
Deeply ingrained beliefs and traditions that lead to stigma and fear need to be dismantled for the good ofthe whole community. With your continued generosity, we can not only cure leprosy, but also help defeat the prejudice that ensnares people.
NEPALRitu is a teenager in Nepal. She was studying at school when a team from TLM Nepal visited sharing about leprosy. This health awareness programme was part of Dignity First. When Ritu heard the team speak about finding the hidden cases of leprosy she didn’t think that was her! But Ritu couldn’t shake the feeling that the numbness she felt over her eyebrow or the fatigue she felt was potentially leprosy, so she went to a friend’s house the next day where the Dignity First team were.
There she was able to speak to the team, and was screened for leprosy. She received confirmation that she did indeed have leprosy. Ritu was given medication and advice but was still fearful.Leprosy if left untreated can have awful outcomes and Ritu feared the worst. Her parents were also fearful that leprosy would affect her marriage prospects as reputation and eligibility are so important inher culture. Thankfully Ritu was able to stay in school and received the cure to leprosy. Without thatteam working so hard to find the hidden cases Ritu could have been overlooked, but thanks to your helpshe was found and cured. Now she has hope for a future free from leprosy.
