GSP focuses on basic human needs as well as educational support for children in a Leprosy Colony in Raniganj, West Bengal. These people are spurned by others and live in poorly constructed housing that often gets flooded at monsoon rain. Few children of the colony are enrolled in school but education is luxury for them. We provide a free tuition educational center, with books, supplies and salaries for teachers; often repair and reconstruct the houses of the colony as well as provide minimum treatment and do needed hospitalizations for the leprosy patients.

Individuals with leprosy have long been stigmatized and marginalized within society. Many consider leprosy as a disease of the past, but this is not true in India; there are several leprosy colonies. In most cases, lepers are forced to live outside the main villages away from the rest of the society. The leprosy colony of Raniganj, resides on land specifically allocated by the Indian government. The lepers live in government provided homes that might better be described as shacks of wood with tattered roofs, often riddled with holes from monkeys jumping on the roofs; the colony uses a single pipe to supply water for an entire village of 26 families. There are zero (0) toilets in the village, which includes 25-30 children. During the rainy season, the village is often submerged under water. GSP often provides band aide of temporary covers during the rainy season. Children attend local government schools but were discouraged and failing due to an inability to review school assignments with family (most never attended school). GSP supplies tutoring, books and supplies to enable the children of the leprosy colony to have a chance at succeeding.

NEEDS/ OBSERVATIONS

Decent homes, sufficient and clean water, proper drainage system, toilets, food, clothes, education for the children, the leprosy colony of Raniganj has many needs.

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