How we started 

Back in 2010 I was on a work related trip to India. My Church in Peacehaven had  been supporting a project in India and members of the Church had spoken with great concern about a group of people with leprosy, they met every time they visited India. These people were living on the grounds of a hospital - in a terrible state. I took the advantage of being in the country to visit Parlakhemundi and David Lima - a dynamic community mobiliser and great friend of the people with leprosy. 

It is hard to describe the condition I found the group in. Their dwellings were ramshakle. Broken iron clad roofing sheets barely covered crumbling mouldy buildings. There was no water supply and one small electric line. Their health was the most concerning, as most of them, left with untreated leprosy had lost some of thier digits and limbs and they were covered with ulcers. Inspite of this, they were all cheerful and welcomed me eagerly saying that no-one visited them as they were too afraid and they lived in isolation, stigmatised, and forced to beg to survive.   

I returned home to do some fundraising for basic repairs to their compound. I have kept in touch with the group via David over the past decade. But it was when Covid hit that they were severely affected, locked down and unable to beg the group were starving..... this is how it all began