WHO ’S NEWSLETTER August 2009 • Number 39 For the • Leprosy is curable Eliminationof • Free treatment is available Leprosy • Social discrimination has no place

Yohei Sasakawa meets with Ackim Ntanyela, a resident of the “invalid compound” in Liteta district hospital, , on July 2.

MESSAGE CONTENTS

Strategic Diplomacy Message 1 ASEC-TNF Project I spend about one third of the year traveling President Banda said with impressive candor that New initiative on abroad on leprosy work, spreading the three he had always been rather afraid of leprosy. After leprosy and human simple messages that you see in the masthead hearing what I had to say, he said he now knew dignity 2 above. On the ground, my strategy is threefold: better, and pledged to redouble Zambia’s efforts to Indonesia Report to meet with heads of state, to motivate health eradicate the disease. The good, the bad and authorities, and to solicit media coverage. When calling on a head of state, I am usually the ugly 3 When visiting a developing country, it is accompanied by the health minister or vice especially important to speak with the head of minister. So when a leader pledges his support for Zambia Report state and gain his or her commitment to keeping leprosy control, his words energize the activities of Life at Liteta hospital 4 leprosy on the list of health priorities. Doing this health authorities. Ambassador’s Journal helps to make the job of the leprosy program As we reduce stigma, the role of the media Visits to Indonesia, manager easier since so many more people are is vital. Wherever possible, therefore, I bring the Zambia and Singapore 5 suffering from HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. local media with me when I meet people affected News Tanzania’s president once told me that he had by leprosy. As well as offering each individual Rome resolution on read up on leprosy for the first time because of my my personal encouragement, I want the media to justice and human visit, learning there were many cases in his country. publicly record our handshakes and interaction, as rights, Making and Another president told me flatly, “We don’t have I believe these images help change public attitudes Unmaking the Asylum 8 leprosy here,” and said that as a child he’d heard toward the disease. From the Editors 8 that everyone with the disease had been sent to an On visits that I am able to carry out all three island in the middle of a lake. In fact, unbeknownst parts of my strategy, I feel that my work has been to him, there was a major leprosy sanatorium truly meaningful. about 40 minutes’ drive from his residence. When I visited Zambia at the end of June, — Yohei Sasakawa, WHO Goodwill Ambassador

 REPORTHUMANASEC-TNF RIGHTSFROM PROJECT FTEL Aug 09 • No. 39 Toward a ‘Caring Community’ Initiative focuses on social reintegration and restoration of dignity.

A new project launched jointly by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat and The Nippon Foundation in Jakarta on June 15 is aimed at empowering people affected by leprosy and building an environment in which they and their families can lead a dignified life. The first phase of the ASEC-TNF Project on Leprosy and Human Dignity focuses on Indonesia. The project will then be expanded to the other nine ASEAN members. In his keynote address before an audience of Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN Secretary General, gives the about 100 diplomats, dignitaries, journalists and keynote address. people affected by leprosy, ASEAN Secretary General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan said, “ASEAN aspires and campaigns to make the general public better to be a caring and a compassionate society … informed about the disease. ASEC and TNF will Therefore, we cannot leave any issue of this major work with governments, the private sector and proportion undetected.” with civil society to implement the project. Although leprosy is no longer considered a Project Manager Adi Yosep said that he had public health problem — as defined by the WHO experienced both health issues related to leprosy, — in the ASEAN region, there were 25,000 and also the stigma and discrimination associated new cases of the disease reported in 2007, with with the disease. “As a person affected by leprosy, Indonesia contributing the bulk of these. While I am very proud of the project and of its potential.” the disease is curable, the stigma attached to In the afternoon, a sensitization workshop it stops people coming forward for treatment, heard from Virendra S. Gupte (Tata International leading to disability, and many experience social Ltd., India) on Partnering with the Business discrimination even after they are cured. Community, Ryotaro Harada (Joy in Action, Footnote “Societies need to recognize that leprosy ) on Social Changes Related to China * Beside leprosy, the areas is a social problem as much as it is a physical in Leprosy, Ujjwal K. Chowdhury (Symbiosis of cooperation between problem,” Dr. Surin told a press conference University, India) on the Involvement of the Media the two parties involve the following the ceremony. “The measure of our in India, and Aco Manafe (Suara Pembaruan Daily, promotion of traditional success is how well we treat the less fortunate Indonesia) on Breaking the Cycle of Stigmatization medicine in primary health members of our society. We have to treat them through the Media in Indonesia. care, programs to empower with compassion and dignity.” The ASEC-TNF Project on Leprosy and persons with disabilities, Initiatives under the project will include Human Dignity is one of several to result from a maritime civilian safety and capacity-building workshops and seminars by and Memorandum of Agreement signed by ASEC and capacity-building within the for people affected by leprosy and family members, The Nippon Foundation in 2008*. ■ ASEAN Secretariat.

FROM THE PODIUM ‘LEPROSY IS NOT A CURSE’

Adi Yosep, project manager of the ASEC-TNF to persons with leprosy and was completely cured initiative on leprosy and human dignity, was with multidrug therapy. diagnosed with leprosy when he was 18. He He was one of a number of people to start developed the same symptoms as his mother PerMaTa, an advocacy group to empower people some years before him, although his parents had affected by leprosy, raise awareness of the disease, kept the true nature of her illness from him. and tackle the issue of stigmatization. The ASEC- “When I was first diagnosed with the disease, TNF Project will build on these efforts. I was scared and confused,” he said. “I didn’t know “People with leprosy have very low self- much about leprosy. Most of all, I was frightened esteem. They are stigmatized by their community. that my friends would distance themselves from We seek to develop their confidence,” he says. “The me, that I would not be able to lead a normal life.” public needs to know that leprosy is curable and Through a university teacher, he was put in that people with the disease should not be feared. touch with The Leprosy Mission International Those with the disease need to know that free and began to learn more about the disease. He treatment is available. And especially, everybody also took advantage of the free treatment available needs to know that leprosy is not a curse.”

 FTEL Aug 09 • No. 39 REPORTINDONESIA FROM REPORT INDIA Toward a ‘Caring Community’ The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Indonesia has work to do in order to further reduce its leprosy burden.

PR AND CDR IN EAST JAVA Clint Eastwood doesn’t normally feature in 7 PowerPoint presentations on leprosy, but the 6 director of Indonesia’s department of transmissible 5 — Prevalence rate disease control used the actor’s photograph recently 4 — Case detection rate

to draw attention to the “The Good, the Bad, and (%) 3 the Ugly” in Indonesia’s fight against the disease. 2 Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of 234 1 million people, is the fourth largest country in the 0 world in terms of population, and its people are 1995 2000 2005 2008 scattered over some 12,000 of the country’s more 2008, it detected 17,243 new cases. Of its 33 than 17,000 islands. These facts alone indicate the provinces, 4 had over 1,000 cases each. logistical challenges involved in delivering health Of these, East Java has the highest incidence services to every citizen, and efforts to control of the disease, reporting 5,083 new cases last leprosy are no exception. year. In particular, the burden is heaviest in 15 The good news is that Indonesia eliminated districts/municipalities on the northern coast and leprosy as a public health problem at the national on Madura Island. Between 1994 and 2008, a level in 2000, reducing the prevalence of the cumulative total of 78,396 people have been cured disease to less than one case per 10,000 people of leprosy in East Java, of whom 7,641 suffer from nine years after the World Health Assembly set permanent disability. the target in 1991. But the bad news, said Dr. Iwan According to the East Java health authorities, M. Muljono, is that the proportion of child cases the problems the province faces include low- among new cases stands at 9.6%, that of grade 2 level commitment of policy makers (“leprosy is disability at 11.4%, while 82.2% of new cases are not interesting for them”), a lack of IEC activities multibacilliary (MB). and materials in high-prevalence areas, low What makes the situation ugly, he went on, is involvement of public hospitals in treating leprosy that the situation has remained static over the past and insufficient community empowerment related decade, with little change in either the prevalence to social problems. rate or the new case detection rate. Similarly, there “Indonesia faces a number of challenges over has been no reduction in the ratios of child cases leprosy,” says Dr. Christina Widaningrum of the and grade 2 disability cases, while the proportion health ministry’s Directorate General Disease of MB cases has increased. Control and Environmental Health. “Perhaps the After India and Brazil, Indonesia reports the biggest is to develop community awareness, so largest number of cases of leprosy annually. In that people come forward and seek treatment.” ■

IN THE CLASSROOM Learning about Leprosy

disease, the educator found his colleagues the bacillus that causes leprosy in 1873; giving him a wide berth and his various “Mycobaterium leprae,” the name of the teaching jobs drying up. It was a bitter disease’s causative agent; an armadillo, time in his life, and the experience the only significant natural reservoir of led him to help set up PerMaTa, an leprosy apart from humans. organization of and for people affected In the course of the lesson, there seems by leprosy, dedicated to fighting for their a lot of information for such a young class rights and rooting out stigma. to absorb, but Zainudin has no hesitation One school kept faith with Zainudin in laying out all the facts. “It’s important — the school where he teaches today. A to teach children the correct information At a village in Lamongan, about two ‘natural’ in front of a classroom of kids, early in life,” he says. “They have good hours’ drive from East Java’s provincial he has a gift for communicating with brains. That way, as they get older, they capital Surabaya, around 30 elementary his young charges, and on this particular will know not to stigmatize someone just school children are attending a special topic he speaks from the heart. As he because he or she has leprosy.” Having class on leprosy one Saturday afternoon talks, different images and words are endured the pain and hurt of rejection in June. Their teacher, Ahmad Zainudin, projected onto the classroom wall: the himself, Zainudin is determined that no knows the subject well. Some four years bearded features of G.A. Hansen, the one should have to experience the same ago, after being diagnosed with the Norwegian physician who identified on account of this disease.

 ZAMBIA REPORT FTEL Aug 09 • No. 39 Life at Liteta Hospital Zambia’s former national leprosy center has living reminders of its past role.

Quiet-spoken Dr. disease. “A lot of people today understand that Jombo Namushi, 32, leprosy is a treatable disease and not something is the medical officer you get just from a handshake,” he says. For its at Liteta Hospital in part, Liteta Hospital places any leprosy-related Chibombo District, inpatients together with other patients. about 80 kilometers That said, Dr. Namushi admits that he still north of the Zambian encounters negative comments from time to capital, Lusaka. The time. “People say, ‘Oh, you come from Liteta. I hospital was founded hope you won’t infect us.’ While most don’t in 1959 as a national really mean it, a few probably do,” he says. tuberculosis center Ignorance is part of the reason, as well as for then-Northern Dr. Jombo Namushi biblical representations of leprosy as an unclean Rhodesia. Four years disease. “Zambia is a Christian nation. People later, it became the national leprosy hospital read the Bible. In biblical times, a person with and training center, functioning in this capacity leprosy would be abandoned in the bush or the until 1993, when it was converted into a district mountains,” he says. hospital under nationwide health reforms. The hospital sees an average of two to four Lack of Resources new cases of leprosy a year, according to Dr. In its dealings with leprosy today, most of Namushi. As of the beginning of July, there were the challenges the hospital faces are resource- seven patients receiving multidrug therapy on an based and relate primarily to the presence of outpatient basis. In addition, there are 13 people people affected by leprosy living in the invalid affected by leprosy living in the nearby “invalid compound. Dr. Namushi lists a few of the issues. compound.” A further 22 affected persons live in Water-related infrastructure is inadequate and the surrounding villages. water must be rationed, making it harder for Up until 1993, anyone in Zambia diagnosed those with wounds to practice self-care. There with leprosy was sent to Liteta for treatment. is a lack of shoe-making equipment to provide Since then, it has been health ministry policy those living in the compound with appropriate to treat new cases close to their homes to make footwear, which ideally should be made on site treatment more accessible and to reduce the to their specifications. Laundry equipment is old stigma attached to the disease. Because the name and not functioning. Toilets are some distance Liteta remains associated with leprosy, however, from the compound, and the walk there can some patients still come from other parts of the exacerbate injuries, particularly at night, because Leprosy FACT country to be cured. there is no electrification. Keeping the toilet area ● Among communica- clean is yet another challenge. The residents have ble diseases, leprosy taken this task upon themselves, in spite of their is a leading cause of “The health reforms had a disabilities, because the hospital can’t afford to permanent physical dis- pay for a cleaner. ability. Timely diagnosis positive impact. Patients can “Developing countries encounter a lot of and treatment of cases, now be treated anywhere.” problems,” Dr. Namushi says. “You just try to before nerve damage make do with what you have to sustain the has occurred, is the services.” most effective way of “The health reforms had a positive impact,” preventing disabilities said Dr. Namushi. “Patients can now receive NEW NEIGHBORS due to leprosy. The treatment anywhere. Centralized treatment is On a positive note, the local community now disease and its associ- what led to the social dislocation of the people has a police post. “The police told us that if we ated deformities are you find here.” He cites the example of Minison wanted a police post, then we would have to responsible for social Shamwata, 73, who had to leave behind his provide them with accommodation. As the only stigma and discrimina- family in Southern Province when he came for houses available were in the invalid compound, tion against patients treatment in 1971 and remains in the invalid in the beginning they didn’t like the idea,” recalls and their families in compound 38 years later. Dr. Namushi. “Eventually, though, they came to many societies. (From Dr. Namushi says that although discrimination accept it.” Now several policemen and various the WHO’s Enhanced still exists, it is nowhere near the level it was at in other workers live in the compound among Global Strategy for the past. The integration of leprosy services into people affected by leprosy — and in this way a Further Reducing the the general health services has made a difference, few more bricks in the wall of discrimination Disease Burden due to and the public has a better understanding of the have been removed. ■ Leprosy)

 FTEL Aug 09 • No. 39 AMBASSADOR’S JOURNAL Travels in Asia and Africa

Initiating a new project in Indonesia, encouraging Zambia to keep focused on leprosy, and visiting a home for people affected by the disease in Singapore.

Indonesia (June 13-15) In June I traveled to Indonesia. The main purpose of my visit was to attend the official launch of a new project on leprosy and human dignity. This is a joint initiative of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretariat (ASEC) and The Nippon Foundation of which I am chairman. The project is a region-wide movement to restore the dignity and realize the social reintegration of people affected by leprosy. It is one of five projects to Winners of the coloring competition in Surabaya be implemented based on a Memorandum of Agreement our organizations signed in June of the scale of the problem, I was told that 2008. Never before has a regional body taken up intensive surveys uncover still more new cases, leprosy as a human rights issue, so the ASEC- indicating an urgent need for information, TNF Project has deep significance. Over time, I education and communication activities at the am hopeful it can make a real difference to the grassroots level. lives of people affected by leprosy. Following my meeting with health officials, I visited a local convention center where I had been asked to hand out prizes to students in a coloring and writing contest to promote leprosy awareness. I also watched part of a drama about stigma and discrimination performed by high school students. In the afternoon I traveled to Lamongan, about two hours from Surabaya, where I sat in on a lesson about leprosy being given by Ahmad Zainudin to a class of elementary school children. I first met Ahmad in Manila, when he attended the launch of Global Appeal 2007 to end stigma With Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN Secretary General and discrimination against people affected by leprosy. It was around that time that he and Adi The project, which is in its infancy, begins in Yosep (see page 2) were in the process of forming Indonesia, where ASEC has its headquarters. It PerMaTa, an advocacy organization of and for is an appropriate starting point, as Indonesia has people affected by leprosy of which Ahmad is the highest leprosy burden in ASEAN — 17,000 now president. new cases in 2008 — and stigma remains a deep- Several members of PerMaTa accompanied seated problem. me during my stay in East Java. Among them For an update on the situation in Indonesia, was Farida, who was one of two people affected I arrived in the country a couple of days early, by leprosy to read out the text of Global Appeal flying into Surabaya, the provincial capital of 2009 in London at the start of this year. I was East Java. East Java has more new cases of leprosy delighted to hear that Farida’s visit to London than any other of Indonesia’s 33 provinces, has inspired her to study English and to become newly diagnosing about 5,000 cases annually. more active in PerMaTa as well. Of these, around 600 are children, or a ratio of On my last day in East Java, I traveled to 12%. Because of the stigma, the disease can Sumber Glagah hospital, about an hour’s drive affect their education and create problems for from Surabaya. Established as a leprosy hospital them later in life in terms of work and marriage. in 1955 by Dutch doctors, the 100-bed hospital The proportion of grade 2 disability is similarly today sets aside half its beds for people affected high among new cases, at around 11%, placing a by leprosy. They receive all treatment free of burden on families and communities. Indicative charge, whatever their illness. The hospital >>

 REPORT FROM INDIA FTEL Aug 09 • No. 39

was addressing a group of villagers, one of them loudly announced that he was tired of visits such as mine that never amounted to anything, and demanded work. His anger was understandable. With social reintegration still problematic, I am hopeful that the ASEC-TNF Project will pave the way for more opportunities for this gentleman and others like him by making it easier for people affected by leprosy to find jobs and be accepted by society.

Zambia (June 30-July 4) It had been almost 20 years since my last visit to Zambia when I flew into the capital Lusaka at the end of June for an update on that country’s leprosy situation. With a population of around 12 million, this southern African nation famous for its copper reserves covers an area of over 750,000 square kilometers and shares borders with eight countries. Zambia successfully achieved the WHO’s A patient at Sumber Glagah Hospital practices self-care. goal of eliminating leprosy as a public health problem in the year 2000. However, as in many offers reconstructive surgery, has a physiotherapy other countries that have passed this milestone, department, and also makes shoes and artificial it is important to ensure that the disease is not EXCERPT limbs for patients. During my tour, I came across a forgotten. Thus my visit was intended to remind ● “Persons affected by group of patients practicing self-care, so I stopped political leaders that they need to remain aware leprosy have a major briefly to chat with them and help them wash of leprosy, even though they have other disease role to play in leprosy their feet. All in all, I found the hospital to be priorities such as HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. services, especially in extremely well-run and was very impressed by Leprosy control activities in Zambia began the areas of advocacy, what I saw. in earnest in the 1930s, when the country was awareness and rehabili- A few minutes’ walk from the hospital is known as Northern Rhodesia. Missionaries tation. Organized efforts the village of Sumber Glagah. Its population established leprosaria, and by 1968, four years by persons affected by includes about 180 people affected by leprosy. after Zambia had won its independence from leprosy are vital to pro- Some run their own small businesses or work as Britain, there were a total of 31 leprosaria in mote a positive percep- day laborers, and others have land for growing the country. tion and attitude about crops, but I understand that many make a living With the introduction of multidrug therapy the disease among the from begging, traveling by motorcycle to nearby to Zambia in 1986 and the implementation of public; to bring about towns for that purpose. Just before I left, as I health reforms in the 1990s, there was a change essential changes in in treatment policy and leprosaria were converted the legal measures that into general hospitals. I visited one of these, are discriminatory in Liteta Hospital, during my stay. nature; and to ensure But first I called on Health Minister Kapembwa that leprosy control Simbao and his team to learn more about the continues to occupy an current leprosy situation. Accompanying me were important place in the the WHO’s country representative Dr. Olusegun health policy framework Babaniyi, and Dr. Landry Bide from the WHO of the country.” (From Regional Office for Africa. the WHO’s Enhanced Zambia currently reports about 300 new cases Global Strategy for of leprosy a year. Most are found in Northern Further Reducing the Province and Western Province, prompting Dr. Disease Burden due to Scene from nearby Sumber Glagah village Bide to suggest that the health ministry consider Leprosy)

 FTEL Aug 09 • No. 39 REPORT FROM INDIA

scaling up activities in these areas. and discrimination. The health minister said the government was The president remarked that while he was committed to fighting leprosy, despite the heavy often called upon to address diseases such as demands made by other diseases. However, the HIV/AIDS and TB, he was never called upon to ministry’s own presentation acknowledged that speak about leprosy. He was interested to learn its efforts were hampered by a number of factors. that I would be visiting Liteta Hospital and said These included inadequate staffing at provincial that “in our culture we are afraid to shake and health facility levels, inadequate knowledge hands” with people affected by leprosy and that and skill among general health staff, inadequate “there are a lot of diseases we are superstitious skills and competencies among district about.” But after hearing about my work he coordinators, lack of community awareness said he now knew better. He asked the health and participation, high levels of stigma, and minister, who was also present, to redouble inadequate rehabilitation and care services for efforts to eradicate leprosy. people affected by leprosy. On my visit to Liteta I was accompanied by representatives of the Zambian media, some of whom were learning about leprosy for the Issues include inadequate first time. After a briefing from hospital staff, I met with some people affected by leprosy who human resources and lack live in a nearby “invalid compound,” a legacy of community awareness. of the days when the hospital was a national leprosarium and people who were sent there for treatment were effectively abandoned by their The ministry’s presentation also showed families. I made a point of shaking hands with there were some gaps in the records. Data for the each person I met, and I hope that these images years 2000 to 2002 was missing and there was captured in photographs and broadcast on TV low reporting from districts in 2005-2006. will help to break down lingering discrimination On the subject of data, Dr. Babaniyi toward people affected by the disease. encouraged the ministry to implement measures In concluding this account, let me mention an to review data on leprosy control on an annual anecdote that the health ministry’s permanent basis in order to make recommendations on secretary, Dr.Velepi Mtonga, related. Attending a ways to reduce the burden further. village function on World Leprosy Day, she heard Later the same day, I called on President a child say, “A friend with leprosy is still a friend Rupiah Banda, who kindly made time to meet to me.” Remarked the permanent secretary, “It’s with me while recuperating from a recent knee a cause for hope if a young child says this.” I operation. I emphasized that although Zambia couldn't agree with her more. Reaching children had achieved the WHO’s goal of eliminating with the right messages is a key aspect of leprosy as a public health problem, it should not community awareness. become complacent, as there was still much to be done, including the work of eliminating stigma Singapore (July 5) Traveling back to by way of Southeast Asia, I took the opportunity to pay a visit to SILRA Home in Singapore. Founded in 1971, SILRA Home provides accommodation and care for people affected by leprosy. In 2005, it relocated from aging premises to a newly-built facility. Today, 51 residents ranging in age from 59 to 90 live there — a generation with nowhere else to go. Their experiences, and those of their counterparts in the Sungai Buloh Leprosy Sanatorium in Malaysia, are recounted in a new book by Loh Kah Seng (see page 8). I look With Zambia’s President Rupiah Banda in Lusaka forward to reading it. ■

 NEWS FTEL Aug 09 • No. 39 ‘A Quest for Justice’ Resolution inspired by Father Damien canonization is adopted in Rome.

A resolution promoting the equal and inalienable to promote issues of justice and human rights that NEWS EXTRA rights of every human being has been drawn up were the cornerstone of his work.” In June, the Chief by three organizations working in the field of The resolution, which was adopted in Rome Minister of Delhi leprosy on the occasion of the canonization of at the end of May, stresses that leprosy is curable, followed through on Father Damien this October. that use of the term “leper” is not appropriate her promise and raised The IDEA, ILEP and AIFO resolution notes that in modern times, and that people who have the monthly pension the canonization of Father Damien for his service to experienced leprosy are equal partners. of people affected by people with leprosy “provides … an unprecedented To read the full text of the resolution, and leprosy in Delhi from opportunity to focus the world’s attention on the to sign it, visit the AIFO website: www.aifo.it/ Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1800. modern-day realities of leprosy … and enables us english/

LEPROSY HISTORY

A new book on leprosy in colonial and post-colonial Malaysia and Singapore looks at the policies and laws applied to people diagnosed with the disease, and the way patients confined to sanatoria contested the regimes imposed on them, often in ingenious ways. Author Loh Kah Seng, a visiting research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, conducted extensive interviews with surviving residents of SILRA Home in Singapore and Sungai Buloh National Leprosy Center, Malaysia, for part of his story. Having struggled to make their asylums into homes, many have faced eviction FOR THE ELIMINATION or relocation late in their lives. The book explores their fate, and raises OF LEPROSY questions about the way they have been treated. Publisher Making and Unmaking the Asylum: Leprosy and Modernity in Singapore Yohei Sasakawa and Malaysia, is published by SIRD in Singapore. ■ Executive Editor Tatsuya Tanami from the editors Editor Jonathan Lloyd-Owen SOCIAL CHANGE IN CHINA Associate Editors Sumiko Okamoto, Ryotaro Harada took a message of “joy in action” Strong personal relationships develop James Huffman to Indonesia recently. The Japanese resident of between villagers and volunteers, which is Layout China had been asked to speak at a sensitization why the latter keep coming back. They are not Eiko Nishida workshop in connection with the launch the service providers; they are there because they Photographer ASEC-TNF Project on Leprosy and Human want to be. People think students in China are Natsuko Tominaga Dignity. JIA, of which he is general secretary, just interested in getting good jobs, said Harada, Editorial Office organizes volunteer work camps at leprosy but their mindset is changing. They believe the 5th Floor, Nippon villages in southern China. There are about 600 “problem” of the leprosy villages is their problem Foundation Building, such villages, home to 20,000 people. and they should do something about it. He is also 1-2-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Work camps see student volunteers live for hopeful that the growing network of volunteer Tokyo 107-8404 one to three weeks in a village, carrying out alumni will bring further change to society as Tel: +81-3-6229-5601 tasks from building toilets to doing housework. they come to occupy influential positions in Fax: +81-3-6229-5602 In 2002, JIA organized activities in two villages; decades to come. [email protected] last year, it did so in 37. Each village is a stage Harada first worked as a volunteer in a to change society, Harada said. People from village called Linho. Once a symbol of With support from: surrounding districts start to lose their fear of the segregation, it is now a symbol of integration. Sasakawa Memorial settlement when they see students eating and There he met his wife, a fellow volunteer and Health Foundation, drinking with the villagers and going hand-in- work camp staff member. They were married in The Nippon Foundation hand with them to local markets. Villagers start the village, and when their daughter was born to gain confidence to venture beyond the village. they named her Linho. www.nippon-foundation. or.jp/eng/

©2009 The Nippon Foundation. All rights reserved by the foundation. This document may, however, be freely reviewed, abstracted, reproduced or translated, in part or in whole, but not for sale or for use in conjunction with commercial purposes. The responsibility for facts and opinions in this publication rests exclusively with the editors and contributors, and their interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the Goodwill Ambassador’s Office.