Leprosy Mailing List Blog: (LML) Socio-economic rehabilitation: habitat for people affected by leprosy

Saturday, August 1, 2015

(LML) Socio-economic rehabilitation: habitat for people affected by leprosy

Leprosy Mailing List – July 31, 2015

Ref.: (LML) Socio-economic rehabilitation: habitat for people affected by leprosy

From: Muherman Harun, Jakarta, Indonesia

Dear Pieter,

I have seriously noticed the sphere of critics, sceptics, negative statements, pessimistic predictions, insinuation and even opposition (NB. from my own country!) towards our project (Superb Habitat for People with Leprosy). For all those friends, I would mention the HABITAT for HUMANITY (HfH) that since almost 40 years ago, has built 600 000 houses in 75 countries. The HfH is an universal project, widely accepted and highly appreciated. The Indonesian branch has in its 5 year campaign planned to build 60 000 houses (called ‘homes’). Never is heard a word against this Habitat!

We also want to set up a Habitat for people affected by Leprosy. Our aim is not to eliminate, or control Leprosy. For how many ages, if not millennia, have those people been deprived of happiness m life? They were despised, ostracized, discriminated against for so long, we now want to give them all the best we can offer, share with them the full happiness of life, enjoying the excitements of life. Is there anything wrong with that idea?

Only a hundred families with Leprosy will we accommodate in our Habitat, which is called SUPERB, because we eagerly, want to offer comprehensive holistic services through total empowerment of the people who are suffering direct or indirect from the disease. In our program, empowerment is used instead of rehabilitation. It is our opinion, that empowerment implies transferring power to the people affected by Leprosy to change their life and destiny.

The Bangkok Declaration 2013 point 2f, mentions ‘ empowerment of persons affected by leprosy”. What we want is to empower a community of people with leprosy. Our ultimate aim is, not the incapacitated person who has to carry out the heavy job on the field, but other family members who are healthy and fit and gladly willing to participate in our community empowerment project under guidance of our professional trainers.

The ticket to enter our project is the presence of one person (or more) with leprosy. It has been understood and agreed upon, that the Habitat will not allow people to stay, who are unwilling to work, or show anti-social behaviour (trouble makers, instigators, etc.). They have agreed beforehand, that in such case they will be returned back to their previous living location.

The comprehensive set of our holistic care comprises five elements of service:

1. Physical empowerment, includes providing care and preventing leprosy, by early detection, proper treatment until complete cure, monitoring and nursing the more serious stages of disease, specialist’s consultation if needed. Supervising treatment for the most common cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic diseases.

2. Social empowerment towards self-sustainability . People will be provided ½ or ¼ Ha piece of land to grow vegetables of their liking. We will supply their daily needs, to lead a normal ‘social’ life, to be achieved within 2 years.

3. Economic empowerment towards productivity. People will be provided 1 ½ Ha piece of land for agriculture, farming, livestock, etc. depending on location, eventually supplying adjacent markets with superior products in ample quantities. This will be achieved within 5 years with the help and guidance of cooperatives and marketing experts, enabling them to earn money, increasing their family income enough to ‘firmly stand on their own feet’, with dignity (without discrimination).

4. Mental empowerment to defy ‘self-stigmatization’, developing a strong positive outlook about the person with leprosy, the family, the Habitat and life itself, gaining self-confidence and self-respect. Simple music making and singing together is conducive for developing the sense of belonging.

5. Spiritual empowerment implies the elimination of age-old mythos, curses of divinity, towards reconciliation and restoring devotion to the Almighty.

A final request: This is a unique and grand project, for your, and everybody’s support.

Thank you,

Muherman Harun