Titigraph

Last Thursday a group of about 35 volunteers took our day off to visit a place on the fringes of Kolkata, Titigraph, a leper colony that was started by Mother Teresa over 50 years ago that is now run by the Missionaries of Charity Brothers (I use the term "run" very loosely.) We didn't do any volunteering rather we just took a tour and talked with some of the patients and I can tell you right now that it was one of the most inspiring things I've ever seen.
Before I talk too much about the colony we should get a few things straight; Leprosy is a disease that affects the body in strange ways, it causes sores on the skin and untreated it can slowly eat away at a persons appendages, many times people lose noses, fingers, toes, legs, hands, and arms, it attacks the bodies nervous system and without treatment can eventually kill. It does not make body parts fall off of their own accord, rather it disfigures and amputations occur regularly because of the disease. The way that leprosy spreads is not known for sure but prolonged immediate contact and transmission by nasal droplet have both been proposed but not proven. An estimated 5% of the world's population are susceptible to leprosy, meaning that 95% CANNOT get the disease. Oh and the last thing, leprosy can be cured.
This is the part that makes Titigraph a very sad place. There are over 150 permanent residents, 300 temporary residents, and many more that receive regular treatment but do not reside at the colony. These people can be extremely disfigured and are shunned from regular society as they have been for thousands of years. A person missing a hand from leprosy is almost guaranteed to have a much more difficult time finding a job in India (or anywhere in the world) than someone who doesn't have the disease. Many of these people have lost their friends and families and have nothing else because of the disease.
But here is the beautiful part. A new world is possible for these people, and they have found it. They have been marginalized for years and have formed a new way of life, with a little help from Mama T. of course. Titigraph is a fully self-sustainable miniature society. They grow their own food, make all of their clothes, provide their own day care, make everything from crutches and beds to prosthetic legs, hands, and thumbs, and most of the people giving treatment at Titigraph are former patients! How beautiful of a thing it is when a society can say, "You don't belong here. We don't want you!" and these people can say, "Have it your way." and leave to a new world with a smile and friends. Another thing that the residents of Titigraph do is make all of the clothes for the Missionaries of Charity Sisters all over the world. And when I say they make the clothes, I mean there are about 50 lumes where men and women sit and make the fabrics used in the sisters robes as well as the sheets and pillowcases that are used in Khalighat and other houses operated by the MC's. This gives people who have been so dehumanized by this disease and peoples reaction (strictly out of ignorance) to be able to have a job, live in community, and even serve those around them. If that's not beauty than I don't know what is.

You carved your name into the sky, and now it's the only one that I can say.
aste aste.