Download Lepers: The True Story of the Exiles

Lepers: The True
Story of the Exiles
A Raymond Limantara
Project
purpose
Of this article…
victims of leprosy were shunned by society and forced to form leper colonies.
They are neglected and left alone to suffer due to the public’s ignorance
which has led to the creation of myths and unnecessary fear towards lepers.
I aim to enlighten the public on the sufferings that the lepers face everyday and
extract the truth from myths.
Leprosy victims are equally human and they should not be
treated differently
Leprosy
What’s that?...
Leprosy (Hansen's disease) is a chronic infection caused by the bacterium
Mycobacterium leprae that results in damage primarily to the peripheral
nerves (the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord), skin, testes, eyes, and
mucous membrane of the nose.
Because of the visible disfigurement in untreated people, people with leprosy
have long been feared and shunned by others. Although leprosy is not highly
contagious, does not cause death, and can be effectively treated with
antibiotics, the disease still causes widespread anxiety. As a result, people
with leprosy often suffer psychologically and from social problems.
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.
It is not clear how leprosy is spread. However, one way the disease is likely
passed from person to person is through droplets expelled from the nose and
mouth of an infected person and breathed in or touched by an uninfected
Person.
symptoms
Severe pain
Muscle weakness, especially in the hands and feet
Skin stiffness and dryness
Loss of fingers and toes
Eye problems, which lead to blindness
Enlarged nerves, especially those around
the elbow (ulnar nerve) and knee (peroneal
nerve).
myths
Myth: Leprosy is caused by immoral behaviour - it's a curse.
Truth: Leprosy is an infectious disease prevalent in areas of the world made
vulnerable by high levels of poverty and malnutrition. The disease is
caused by a germ, not a punishment or a curse.
Myth: Leprosy is incurable. Truth: With Multi-Drug Therapy, leprosy can be
cured. Myth: The disease spreads by touching someone with leprosy.
Truth: 90 to 95 percent of people are naturally immune to the disease.
For those at risk, prolonged exposure to droplets from sneezing and
coughing by an infected person can cause the disease to spread.
Myth: Nobody gets leprosy anymore.
Truth: Every year, hundreds of thousands of new cases of leprosy are
detected.
questions
For the interview…
What do you think of leprosy and lepers?
What do you know about them?
What cause you to have this perspective?
-because of the source
-fear of being infected
-fear due to ignorance
-due to their condition
Where did you first heard about leprosy?
-friends, family, media, etc
How reliable is the source?
-any evidence?
Do you think you would befriend them?
Why would you say so?
How would you change your thinking if I
were to tell you that…
-Leprosy victims suffer due to their
condition
-Leprosy is contagious
-Leprosy is a curable disease
Would you...
-still have the same perspective
-think otherwise
Would you allow your child/ loved ones to
befriend a leper or to come into close
contact with them after knowing the real
truth? Why?
Where do you think these victims live?
How do you think we help these victims?
interview
With my mum…
I apologize for my mum’s use of improper English. She is after all not a
Singaporean and her command of the language is not too good.
P.S audio file is in the same folder
3 difficulties
I found difficulties in…
Conducting the real interview as my parents were often not at home and they
could not speak proper English. I had to sort of translate their answers and
write a script for them to say during the real interview.
Drafting the questions as it required me to at least have a basic idea on the
topic.
Finding people’s thoughts on the internet was not a simple task as there
weren’t any websites providing the general public’s views. Most of the
information found were mainly facts.
Lastly, I had to work till midnight to finish this because I did not have time to do
this on any other day except today [16 April 2008].
2 things
Learnt…
I learnt that the whole process of drafting interview questions, researching
for facts and conducting the interview is not as simple as I thought it
would be. Questions asked must be of a certain type to get the most of
the person’s thoughts.
I learnt about the plight of the lepers who were considered outcast of any
society except for theirs, which I thought was very shocking. This
project was truly an eye opener for me.
What I plan to do
In the future…
If I have the chance and time I would like to embark on a community service
learning project or other activities that allows me to help those who are
individually different or those who are less fortunate.
I believe that taking part in these activities will not only help the society but if
every one does so , the world would be a better place to live in.
credits
To…
www.leprosy.ca
diseases.emedtv.com/leprosy/leprosy-symptoms.html
www.merck.com/mmhe/sec17/ch194/ch194a.html
And…
Not forgetting my mum who was willing enough to spare her
time for the interview despite her poor command of English
thanks
For your time…
I didn’t add fancy effects or cool slide transition but I hope that this is enough
So thanks a lot. Hope you enjoyed it?...
By Raymond, For the leprosy sufferers