Leprosy Mailing List – August 3, 2015
Ref.: (LML) Socio-economic rehabilitation: habitat for people affected by leprosy
From: HOSHINO Nao, Tokyo, Japan
Dear Pieter,
Thanks to Dr Harun for sharing about his initiative "Superb Habitat for People with Leprosy".
Much concerns have been raised as the project proposes to provide housing and means to make a living for people and families of those affected by leprosy not where they live, but it seems to suggest bringing the 100 families together to start a settlement.
The fear is that the new land with the 100 families would be recognised by others as 'the land where 100 families of those affected by leprosy gather and live', which may cause stigma and discrimination, as self-settled colonies or (former) leprosy settlements throughout the world face to date.
We, Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation, have worked with the Ethiopian National Association of Persons Affected by Leprosy (ENAPAL), a national network of persons affected by leprosy in Ethiopia, in the past.
Habitat for Humanity planned a housing project in North Ethiopia some years ago. The HfH was to select some tens of families in the city who needed safe and adequate housing. The beneficiaries were to pay back for the raw materials, after certain period of time. Hearing of the project, the local branch of ENAPAL negotiated with HfH that people affected by leprosy in the city be included as the beneficiaries. The discussion did not go smooth at first. One of the criteria set by the HfH was that the beneficiaries had some means to make a living, and that the cost of raw materials be paid back (for the HfH to be able to continue their housing projects in new areas).
After much negotiation between ENAPAL and HfH, and later with ENAPAL and SMHF, we came up with a project that SMHF was to support a micro-credit project for people affected by leprosy in the city, and with that, the people who acquired a means of living, would then apply for the housing project of HfH.
The HfH and the local government prepared a new residential area where people who had nothing to do with leprosy could find a residence as well. The new residential area accommodates people and families affected by, and NOT affected by leprosy, living as neighbours.
The people/families affected by leprosy in new houses have a strong ownership of their house, as they feel that they have earned the house. Though the number was very limited at first, soon, many more people affected by the disease became very interested and hopeful that they could change their life. The new residential area has no division between families of those affected by the disease and those who are not.
After the big success in this particular city, HfH and ENAPAL collaborated further to help people affected by leprosy to have a new and decent housing in a few other cities in Ethiopia.
I am rather uncertain whether this would help you in any way, but if you need any information, let us know.
Yours sincerely,
HOSHINO, Nao
Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation
LML - S Deepak, B Naafs, S Noto and P Schreuder
LML blog link: http://leprosymailinglist.blogspot.it/
Contact: Dr Pieter Schreuder << editorlml@gmail.com
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