PRO LABORE DEI (For the Labour of God)

'we shall serve'

LEPERS COMMITTEE

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On behalf of Sr. Stella Maris, the Chief Co-Ordinator of Pro Labore Dei, we welcome you to the Committee for the Rehabilitation of Lepers and thank you for responding to the Appeal.

Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium Leprae, which is related to the Tuberculosis causing organism. It is transmitted by close contact and affects the nerves mostly leading to lack of pain sensation in the extremities that is legs and hands. However this disease if treated in time can be completely eradicated. It is interesting to note that leprosy is not highly contagious as people imagine and does not cause death although its symptoms and complications such as nerve damage may leave residual disabilities (i.e. disfigurement) and result in other psychological and social problems.

OUR AIM

Pro Labore Dei through this committee has undertaken to bring God’s loving kindness and succour to thousands of men, women and some children suffering from various stages of this disease in a community called Ugwu-oba in Orji River Local Government Area in Enugu State and another at Iwo in Oyo State . These lepers are ostracized from communities around them and their Settlements are surrounded by vast acres of forests as people do not want to have anything to do with them. They go begging on the streets to survive. Even those who can eke out a living by farming and frying garri are unable to sell their farm produce and garri because no one will buy. They are also sitting targets for armed robbers on a daily basis who take advantage of their isolated locations to dispossess them of the little income they get from begging.

The children in these Settlements are at greatest risk and in a worse predicament. Their parents can’t afford to send them to school. Some of them become guides for the blind ones or aides to Wheel Chair bound lepers. Others go begging with the adult lepers or may even turn to a life of crime.

Most of the children are born healthy but because leprosy is a disease of proximity, some children get infected, live in the Settlement, marry themselves and the cycle begins afresh. Even the healthy ones are consigned to a life restricted to the Settlement too and have no future, a life of gloom misery and seemingly no way out.

Pro Labore Dei embarked on this mission primarily to:

Provide surgical intervention and prosthesis (artificial limbs) to the lepers that require amputation.
Rehabilitate the cured victims by setting up some form of business aimed at self reliance, and
Provide accommodation to avoid return to the Lepers Settlement and also provide medical supplies for the needs of other Lepers whose cases do not require amputation.

Having seen first hand the situation on ground we need to also look at ways of giving the children a brighter future, education, empowerment (suggestions in this regard from you will be highly appreciated) and removing them from the settlements.

BUDGET

With your contribution and from other members of the committee, we have been able to raise about N600000 (Six Hundred Thousand Naira) as at 3^rd of July 2007. Based on the above sum we have budgeted N50000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) monthly for the next one year ( June 1, 2007 to 31^st May 2008 ) as expenditure whilst aiming at the sum of N100000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira per month.

To be able to manage within our current monthly budget for the year, the lepers are treated in twos which means transporting four people from Enugu State to Damian Foundation (the Hospital) in Abakaliki, Abia State . This is because the hospital management insists a relative stay with each patient for the duration hospital stay. This hospital carries out surgery free but we provide blood, all medical supplies, food, boarding, beddings and personal items etc. Artificial limbs are provided when wounds are healed.

For those who do not require surgical intervention, we provide all medical supplies such as antibiotics, Vaseline gauze, bandages, cotton wool, mentholated spirit, dettol, izal, hydrogen peroxide, Gentian, Violet, drugs, etc for the treatment of their wounds. You can imagine the quantity of these items required to meet the medical needs of whole Settlement.

FACTS

Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Hansen's bacillus (the Mycobacterium leprae bacterium). Leprosy can eventually cause a variety of skin problems, loss of feeling, and paralysis of the hands and feet.

Forms of Leprosy

There are several forms of leprosy that range from the mildest indeterminate form to the most severe lepromatous type. More severe forms arise because of less effective immune response to the infection. Most of those infected mount an appropriate immune response and never develop signs of leprosy.

More than 1 million people worldwide have leprosy. Leprosy is most common in Asia (especially India and Nepal ), Africa , Latin America , and the islands of the Pacific Ocean . About 4,000 people in the United States are infected, most of them in California , Hawaii , and Texas . Almost all cases of leprosy in the United States involve people who emigrated from developing countries. The infection can start at any age but most commonly begins in the 20s and 30s.

Prevention and Treatment

Because leprosy can be cured with medicines, an early diagnosis will often reduce leprosy symptoms and complications. Therefore, while prevention of leprosy is not always possible, especially where leprosy is endemic, control should be possible.

The deformities and nerve damage associated with leprosy are often irreversible. Preventions or rehabilitation of these defects is an integral part of management of the disease. Management of leprosy is aimed at stopping infection and minimizing potential physical deformities. Reconstructive surgery aimed at preventing and correcting deformities - reconstruct collapsed nose, or to improve function or appearance of affected areas. Surgery may sometimes be used to drain abscesses to restore nerve function.

Surgery offers the greatest hope for disabled patients. Sometimes, the deformities are such that the patients will not benefit from this type of surgery.

Patient education is paramount. Leprosy can be cured but it is essential to take the full course of medication. It is no longer infectious once treatment has begun. Patients should be instructed how to deal with existing nerve damage for example protecting numb feet from injury. Physical, social and psychological rehabilitation is necessary for those in whom neglected disease has caused havoc.

After successful treatment, people with leprosy are considered free of active infection. A number of leprosy symptoms can improve with treatment, such as leprosy skin lesions. Other symptoms or complications, such as nerve damage, may improve very little with treatment. Worldwide, there are an estimated 2 to 3 million cases of people who have completed leprosy treatment but still have residual disabilities.

UPDATE FEBRUARY 08

PRESENT PROJECT

In Pro Labore Dei we provide when possible vocational training - with the prospect of self-reliant so that our benefactors achieve independence and develop a sense of self worth and dignity. With this in mind we are at present building a hall to be used as vocational training centre for our clients which has gone beyond lintel level and is nearing roofing level.

FINAL PRODUCT

NEWS

On 25^th of December 2007, our clients in Ugwuoba were given a Christmas Party with plenty to eat and drink. All were given clothes as their Christmas present.

We also have clients in Iwo consisting of nine adults and many children were given a Christmas party on Christmas day as well as given clothes.

CHRISTMAS PARTY AT UGUOBA IN PICTURE

FINANCE

The financial Report from 29 July till date attached.

N50, 000 is sent every month to the centre from the head quarter.

We thank you for your continuous support. May God continue to bless you and replenish your pockets a thousand fold.

UPDATE AUGUST TO DECEMBER 2007

On 26th of September 2007, seven clients received treatment from the Salvation Army health center. Out of the Seven, five had eye operation while the other two had ordinary treatment. They are all doing well as at the last time they were visited.

In October, an emergency call was received that one of client was bleeding terribly. A vehicle had to be arranged to convey her and one other client whose case was also bad to Abakaliki mile 4 hospital. After examination, they were told that the diseased legs will be amputated. The clients refused and were transported back to Ugwuoba the same day. Ten thousand Naira was wasted on transporting back to Ugwuoba the same day. .

PRESENT PROJECT

Seven clients again are ready for eye treatment this December. Date of appointment with the team of doctor from Markudi is 17th of December 2007.

NEWS

A wonderful Christmas party is being organized, courtesy PLD Headquarters Ibadan, for all our clients at Ugwuoba Oji River . A lot of goodies will be shared on the Christmas day-food, drink, new clothes and music. We pray that the Almighty God will be with all of us with his blessing. Amen

UPDATE APRIL TO JULY 2007

To date one beautiful light complexion young girl, a woman and a man have been completely cured of this disease. The case of the young girl really touched my heart because on this day when I visited, which happened to be a day when they all come together to share old clothing people donate to them, there she was sitting amongst the crowd of lepers full of smiles, talking away and sticking out like a sore thumb. I asked myself what this beautiful young girl was doing here only to be told that she was our very first patient. She had had a festering sore on her right leg which had to be amputated. Prior to the amputation she was miserable and looked bony, never smiled and went nowhere. Now however, she says she is getting married but not to a leper. Your contribution has given a new lease of life to another.

The man had ulcers on his legs which healed with treatment. He has since relocated out of the Settlement. The other woman was referred from Damian Foundation to National Orthopedic Hospital Enugu to undergo skin grafting surgery as the ulcers on both legs did not heal with treatment. The surgery was successful and we had to pay for the surgery. It was not free. She is in the process of being rehabilitated and with her consent we have removed her two healthy children from the Settlement to Pro Labore Dei Centre in another state to start school and a new life.

PRESENT PROJECT

At the moment we have one gentleman still undergoing treatment at the hospital, two others to start a course of treatment and about Five people scheduled to undergo one form of eye treatment or the other, (the leprosy seem to have affected the nerves in their eyes). One woman has already commenced a course of treatment.

We could not have done these things nor hope to continue without your support. We cannot completely wipe out leprosy from their midst but by God’s grace and with your support we are making a difference in the lives of some of them.