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Meet Pankaj Kumar Srivastava, a champion for a leprosy-free India

15-year-old Pankaj would often look at his right foot and ask himself why his ulcer did not heal. He has seen many doctors in his native village in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Their ointments and antibiotics did not work, rather his ulcer got worse. He often sat by himself as he could not go out and play.

The journey from the pavement to the classroom – Leprosy was not a stumbling block for Rishu

The ward nurse in the ulcer ward of TLM Muzaffarpur Hospital, Bihar, visits Suman Devi every day for dressing her ulcer. She has been doing this for a month now. Suman Devi first visited TLM Muzaffarpur Hospital a few years back where she was diagnosed with leprosy. The physician there put her on multidrug therapy (MDT). She was cured, but leprosy damaged the nerves on the skin’s surface on her legs resulting in loss of sensation. That led to ulcer (a secondary complication of leprosy) and now she is in the hospital for ulcer treatment.

They proved how fast they could replace vehicle tyres, and bagged the first prize in a Tata Motors’ competition

It was a proud moment for Mr S. Viji and Mr P. Suryaprakash, students undergoing training in automotive mechanics at The Leprosy Mission Trust India’s vocational training centre (VTC) in Vadathorasalur, Tamil Nadu. The reason? They bagged the first prize in Pit Stop competition – a competition for dismantling and fixing the four tyres of a vehicle in record time, in the 3rd National Auto-Tech Fest – called Auto Throttle 2019 – conducted by Tata Motors Ltd, in Goa, from March 28-29.

Back to school – A struggle to study that ended well

It was the school annual gathering. When the Class 6 student recited Multiplication Table 1-40 on the podium in front of a packed audience, it was so quiet one could hear a pin drop. But what followed was something the small boy couldn’t understand – thunderous applause followed him while he slowly walked to his seat!

A little push was all that Mamta needed to take to the skies

Imagine sitting at home without a job despite being a graduate, shunned by neighbours and friends, and with no confidence to carry on with life – all because you have a physical disability.

26-year-old Mamta Gulabrao Kubade had no hope in life. She had met with an accident when she was eight years old, and that left her leg burnt. It resulted in deformity in her lower limb. Despite her disability, she completed her graduation. Job opportunities were rare and she had no confidence to seek out one. Confined to her home in Kothara village of Maharashtra, her days were dreary and nights insomnious. Her self-esteem plummeted to a new low every day.