This Business Meeting is important as our AGM is on Wednesday 3rd December and we have to have key board positions in place for next Rotary Year to be sent to Rotary International by 31st December.
Through a centre in the city of Noida, east of New Delhi, the Rotary clubs have worked with the nongovernmental organisation to train around 120 people affected by leprosy and other
disabilities to qualify to work as cosmetologists and IT professionals. One of the first students to enrol was Disha Santhosh, 17. She grew up in a leprosy settlement in the Dilshad Garden area of Delhi, one of the largest of its kind in India and home to thousands of people affected by leprosy and their family members. Here most households face persistent financial hardship. Her father was affected by leprosy, but he had long been the sole breadwinner, working tirelessly as a plumber to provide for the family. To meet even basic needs, her father had to take out a loan, deepening the family’s financial crisis. But through the training centre, Santhosh completed certification in cosmetology in March and is now employed, offering a vital lifeline to support herself and her parents.
Though leprosy stubbornly persists, there is hope for prevention. A possible vaccine called LepVax is in development and has shown promising results in preclinical tests against the Mycobacterium leprae bacteria that causes the disease. But until a vaccine materialises, much support is required.
“As Rotarians, committed to service and inclusion, we must come together to raise awareness, support early diagnosis and treatment, and challenge the harmful myths that still surround leprosy. Let us unite to end both the disease and the injustice,” says Patel. “Together, we can restore hope, dignity, and opportunity.”
