When Nandyala Ramalakshmi—a resident of a remote village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh—got diagnosed with leprosy, deformity had already set in. She started taking multi-drug therapy to treat the disease, but what was more painful was the attitude of her family members towards her and their gradual distancing from her. She was asked not to come close to her two children and have meals separately. Her husband, who is a person with a disability, is not able to earn enough for the family.

On the sixth month of her treatment, she went to the Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Hospital, where she met a former staff member of The Leprosy Mission (TLM). He counseled Ramalakshmi, made her aware of leprosy and introduced her to TLM’s vocational training centre (VTC) in Vizianagram. On being encouraged, Ramalakshmi got in touch with the VTC and enrolled herself in the tailoring course in the 2022-23 session.

While she immersed herself in learning the skills of tailoring, her interaction with the faculty members and other students also helped her develop confidence in her abilities. She demonstrated strong self-esteem and that was reflected in the way she conducted herself and engaged with others. While doing the course, she also fulfilled her dream of completing secondary education by passing Class 10.

In 2023, she went to TLM hospital in Salur for her claw hand correction and underwent reconstructive surgery.

After her completion of training, the VTC arranged her placement at LEPRA India as a physiotherapy assistant with a stipend of INR 7500 per month. She has now completed her training and is drawing a salary of INR 10,500 per month.

“More than training, what the VTC has given me is the confidence to have faith in my abilities, irrespective of my disease and vulnerable condition. The staff members have helped me change my approach towards life and shown me how important it is to be strong-willed and positive,” says Ramalakshmi.

Ramalakshmi nurtures an ambition to get a government job and give a better life to her children.