Leprosy can cause damage to nerve-endings in a person’s eyes. As a result, the person’s eyes cannot fully close. They become exposed to tiny specks of dust and dirt which can cause infection and blindness. Eyes can also react badly to leprosy medicines. A pair of Protective Glasses is a simple but effective way to protect vulnerable eyes. They can save a person’s sight – with huge benefits for them and their family.

The Grain Mills project in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia enables women affected by leprosy to support themselves and their families by milling grains used to make injera – a type of bread eaten at every meal. This Really Good Gift 4 Families provides a family with the ingredients and utensils they need to bake the bread, and advice to help them sell it for the best price.

This gift provides school fees for a year for a young girl affected by leprosy who would otherwise never have the chance to go to school. Girls often miss out on reading and writing, learning a trade, and the opportunity to develop self-confidence. Your gift will benefit the girl and her family for the rest of their lives

Your gift provides all the treatment a person affected by leprosy needs to be cured, including administering medication, and surgery for disabled hands, feet and eyes. The person will be able to pursue a full, more active life within their community, and help break down the stigma and injustice which can affect them and their family

Left undiagnosed and untreated, leprosy damages the nerve endings of hands and feet. The person becomes unable to feel pain and discomfort, which leads to injury and disability. Your gift of special micro-fibre sandals with soft internal padding protects vulnerable feet for the long term – especially vital for children and young people with their lives ahead of them.

For many people affected by leprosy living in remote, poverty-stricken areas of developing countries, any kind of medical treatment is very hard to come by. This Really Good Gift 4 Families will provide treatment and care for someone with leprosy related injuries and illnesses, and help them become an active member of the family once again.

Many people who have had leprosy for a long time experience disabilities in the feet and legs which prevent them from walking. In areas of extreme poverty, this severely limits their chances in life. Your Really Good Gift 4 Families allows a person to be more mobile, so they can go out to work, buy groceries, or meet with other disabled people to form support groups. The independence and self-reliance gained is priceless.

Leprosy can also lead to ‘drop foot’, where the ankle no longer functions. Reconstructive surgery and physiotherapy can help a person walk again, and make a lasting impact on their ability to lead a fulfilled life.

Pigs are a great addition to a poor family in a country like Nepal, where a project funded by the Leprosy Mission New Zealand is providing loans and support to women disabled by leprosy. Pigs are easy to take care of, cheap to feed and don’t require much space. The piglets can be sold to provide food and valuable income for a whole family.

This Really Good Gift 4 Families is in response to increased demand for mushrooms in Bangladesh. Each kit provides 20 seeds, seedbeds and all the training a family affected by leprosy needs to become a profitable mushroom supplier. It is the ideal gift to help a family living in poverty grow their way to a better future.

This Really Good Gift 4 Families includes a range of hardy seeds for fantastic vegetables, and advice on how to grow a bumper crop. For a family left impoverished and hungry by the consequences of leprosy, it’s ideal to provide nutritious food, with plenty leftover to generate an income selling veggies on a market stall

This gift of a dairy cow is of tremendous benefit to a person affected by leprosy. The cow loyally provides nutritious milk, a form of transport, manure for crops, and the chance to overcome the debilitating stigma of leprosy. This gift also includes training in animal husbandry, and support in setting up a sustainable business.

In countries like India and Bangladesh, the rickshaw is a common mode of daily transport, and provides a sustainable livelihood for many people. This Really Good Gift 4 Families will provide a pedal rickshaw to a person affected by leprosy, and help them provide for themselves and their family for years to come.

The Leprosy Mission provides a range of vocational training to young people affected by leprosy, and this Really Good Gift 4 Families can help provide the equipment they need to start their very own business. This gift will provide a sewing machine specially adapted for a young entrepreneur who is disabled in their hands or feet.

This Really Good Gift 4 Families is the ultimate gift – it will protect, not just one, but several families from waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera and dysentery. The whole community will be healthier and therefore less vulnerable to diseases like leprosy.

Your exceptional Really Good Gift 4 Families will help to strengthen a whole community in a poor region of Ethiopia. People affected by leprosy will be able to support themselves by milling grains like wheat, barley and pepper – which are used by the wider community to make ‘injera’, a type of bread eaten at every meal. In the longer term, the mill will help to break down the social stigma of leprosy, one step at a time.