NEWS & EVENTS

On 23rd August 2023, APAL participated in the 2nd Brainstorming meeting towards the National Conference on the Abolishment of Discriminatory Laws against People Affected by Hansen’s Disease in India at The Leprosy Mission Trust India office in Delhi.

The meeting was attended by several individuals and organizations, including Mrs. Maya Ranavare, Mr. Prakash Done, Mr. Mohan from APAL, Mr. Arman Ali, and Ms. Niharika Das from DPI India, Mr. Gaurab Sen and Mr. Shubhendra Sachan from S-ILF, Ms. Nikita Sarah and Mr. Subhojit Goswami from TLMI, and Ms. Dhvani Mehta and Ms. Rituparna Padhy from Vidhi Centre. Additionally, Dr. Takahiro Nanri and Ms. Mao Hasebe from SHF also participated in the meeting. The discussions were productive and focused on ways to eliminate discriminatory laws against those affected by Hansen’s Disease in India.

On 11^th August 2023, APAL’s President Mrs Maya Ranavare along with Dr Sudarshan Mandal, DDG Leprosy and Ms. Nikita Sarah Head of Advocacy& Communication at the Leprosy Mission visited Anandvan leprosy colony in Pune and interacted with youth, women and colony leader.

On 10^th August 2023, Mrs. Maya Ranavare, the President of APAL, recently participated in a 2-day workshop organized by the Central Leprosy Division (CLD) in coordination with the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP) & World Health Organization (WHO), India.

This workshop was held in Pune, Maharashtra on 10-11 August 2023 and aimed to develop training modules for promoting the mental well-being of Leprosy Patients. It’s great to see such initiatives being taken to support those in need.

On 4^th August 2023, APAL’s Vice President of Mr. Jawahar Ram Paswan and Shyam Gope, Co-Secretary of District Leprosy Welfare Committee, Anil Kumbhkar congratulated the newly posted Honorable Deputy Commissioner Mr. Manjunath Bhajantri in East Singhbhum on behalf of all the persons affected by leprosy and also invited him to visit the leprosy ashrams or colonies

We also submitted a request for free education for the children of persons affected by leprosy under the “Right to Education Act”. We are thrilled to report that the Deputy Commissioner has promised to take appropriate action on our request and has committed to visiting the colony soon.

4^th August 2023, with the efforts of APAL and the state committee in Madhya Pradesh, the Health Department of the Government conducted a POD (Prevention of Disability) camp at Sant Dnyaneshwar Leprosy Seva Samiti Mahesh Yadav Nagar Banganga Indore. They provided ulcer care services to 25 persons affected by leprosy, while also teaching them self-care and related physical exercises.

APAL is grateful to the health department of the Government of Madhya Pradesh for their health care services to people affected by leprosy, and special thanks to the state committee and Mr. Radha Krishna for his contribution to the camp.

4^th August 2023, APAL and APAL’s state committee in Gujarat contacted Dr. Rajesh HOD Leprosy of Ahmedabad to request a dressing materials kit for individuals who are affected by leprosy and are struggling with wounds and ulcers at Gandhi Seva Sangh Leprosy Colony. It is important to note that due to the loss of sensation, People Affected by Leprosy are susceptible to developing ulcer wounds on their hands and feet. Daily dressing of these ulcers is necessary to prevent bone infections and possible amputation of legs and fingers.

We were fortunate to have Dr. Rajesh visit our colony and provide us with the necessary dressing kit. Thanks to his kind gesture, we were able to dress all of our leprosy brothers and sisters the very next day with the help of the Lakshminarayan dresser from APAL. This was crucial in stopping the progression of their wounds.

APAL is incredibly thankful for the support and cooperation we received from Dr. Rajesh and his team. Additionally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Vijay Kumar Pasem for his unwavering dedication and contributions to the leprosy community.

On 3^rd August 2023, APAL and APAL’s President Mrs. Maya Ranavare met with Mr. Laxmi Narayana Manager of CSR Muthoot Finance at his office in Hyderabad, Telangana

We had productive discussions about future activities and collaborative awareness programs for the socioeconomic empowerment and welfare of people affected by leprosy and their family members.

APAL is thankful to Mr. Laxxmi Narayana for his positive response and assumed responsibility.

3^rd August 2023, APAL and APAL’s President Mrs. Maya Ranavare recently met with Ms. Prangya Ayyangari Miss India & Asia and conveyed huge congratulation in Hyderabad, Telangana

We had some productive discussions about awareness programs, participation in gender equality workshops, new launching events, and CSR fundraising recommendations. She responded positively and seemed eager to do what she could to fulfil these goals.

APAL is grateful to SHF for their great intervention and initiates “Driving Social Change through the Power of Crown” to bring productive change into the leprosy community.

2^nd August 2023, During a recent visit to Hyderabad, APAL’s President, Mrs. Maya Ranavare, had the privilege of meeting with Dr. John Babu, the State Leprosy Officer of Telangana, at the Directorate of Public Health &FW.

The two had a productive discussion on several topics, including awareness programs, LCDC, collaboration activities, dressing material support, participation in the policy-making committee, and more.

APAL is very appreciative of Dr. John Babu’s warm hospitality and positive response.

On 2^nd August 2023, APAL and APAL’s President, Mrs. Maya Ranavare had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Prasant Nayak, CEO of Lepra Society, and Mr. Arun Kumar, Head of Projects at Lepra Society; had productive discussions at the head office of Lepra in Hyderabad, Telangana.

We had a productive visit where we talked about how we can collaborate in the future to work towards the socio-economic empowerment and welfare of individuals and families affected by leprosy. We came up with some great ideas and we are excited to see how we can positively impact together.

APAL is grateful to the Lepra Society for their kind and welcoming hospitality. They responded positively to our needs and treated us with respect. It was a comfortable and pleasant experience, and we appreciate their efforts.