Titagarh

Last Thursday, I visited the leprosy center (Titagarh) run by the Missionaries of Charity Brothers with my fellow volunteers. The center is home to people with leprosy and they actually have their own little enclosed self-sustaining community next to some railroad tracts. This is where people with leprosy can live without being judged by society and it’s also where they receive free treatments. The center houses families and there are also wards for temporary patients.

 

Every person there has leprosy and they contribute to their small community by weaving, sewing, gardening, taking care of the animals, making prosthetics and shoes suitable for people with decreased sensation. They also raise their own pigs, goats, chickens and ducks. And they have a fish farm, vegetable garden and a beautiful orchard! The workers are paid of course, but they don’t really need the money because everything is provided by the Missionaries of Charity. Some of them do send their wages to their families living outside the community. This is also where the saris the Sisters wear are made and they also make all the linens and clothes used by the patients at the homes run by the Missionaries of Charity. The center does not make any profit, but they do distribute any excess produce to the other homes run by the Sisters and Brothers. This place is like a paradise compared to most homes in Kolkata. It's so clean and the yard is filled with beautiful trees and not littered with garbage everywhere. 

Their orchard

Fish farm

Here are some facts about leprosy. 

Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic disease cause by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae. The disease primarily affects the peripheral nerves, the skin, the upper respiratory tract and also the eyes. Leprosy is not highly infectious because most of the human population is not susceptible to the bacteria. It is transmitted through droplets from the mouth and nose during close and recurrent contacts with untreated people. It takes about three to five years for the disease to manifest itself after initial contact. Leprosy can be treated with standard antibiotic drugs and is very effective if treated as soon as possible. People become noninfectious when they take the prescribed medications, so there is no need to be isolated from their family and community after they are treated.

Most of the patients I encountered there were either missing a part of their hand, feet or their whole limbs. The missing body parts are not the direct result of the disease. The problem is caused by the loss of sensation. I bet most people would love to not feel any pain, but God knew what He was doing when He created us. Our sensory nerves warn us if our body is injured and that we should avoid hurting it again until our body heals itself. So logically, if our warning system is impaired we have no way of keeping our body safe from harm. People with sensory loss just have to avoid standing or sitting in one position for long periods. Check their feet often and always wear protective shoes and make sure there are no objects inside the shoes. And always wear mittens when cooking so they don’t burn their hands. The people living there could have prevented the loss of their limbs, but several factors contributed to the cause. First, they were in denial, so they concealed it as long as they could because they feared being ostracized by their families and communities. The second reason was because they didn’t know where to get treatments or they were unable to pay for the medicine. And lastly, they didn’t feel any pain when they injured themselves, so they thought nothing of it and didn’t treat their wounds. So the untreated wounds became infectious and that led to the loss of their fingers, toes and limbs.

Despite their circumstances they all radiate happiness there and they seem at peace. God is so good and this center truly shows He cares about equal treatment of His people no matter their situation or religion. Titagrah is really amazing and the Brothers genuinely testify to God’s love for all people regardless of their circumstances. I highly recommend visiting Titagarh if you are ever in Kolkata. 

On our way to work.

This is how they pack a train here. People literally hanging out of the train!

A message from Mother Teresa.