"Give people fish and you feed them for a day; teach them how to fish and you feed them for a lifetime."

The Leprosy Mission provides scholarships for primary, secondary and tertiary education.  We also provide vocational training in such areas as sewing, welding, electrical and mechanical engineering.  These courses improve employment prospects for children and teenagers who live in poverty and/or are affected by leprosy.  The chance to earn a living and become an accepted community member is the dream of every leprosy sufferer and socially excluded person around the world. 

In India the vocational training centres The Leprosy Mission New Zealand works with have more than 250 students graduating each year, all of whom face the prospect of a more dignified future.  Similar programmes exist throughout the world.