Over 400 people afflicted by leprosy have found shelter, care and job opportunities in the Mahatma Gandhi Kuxtt Ashram at Gandhi Nagar, Bhopal built by Society of Pilar, Bhopal is the shelter for leprosy patients.
Patients who have been cured of leprosy live with their families, working in the community in either the Rehabilitative Workshop or in other areas. A dedicated medical officer attends to their needs. Children of leprosy parentage are able to live in this community, away from the stigma that surrounds this disease. They attend local schools and receive support and guidance to join professional training to follow a vocation of their choice.
This is to ascertain that all the works, charitable, health care, developmental, etc. in the Catholic Church are carried out under the patronage of the Archdiocese of Bhopal. The Church often engages herself with the works or services, which are not being carried out by many others. The goal of church authority is to follow the encouragement of Christ who said that as long as you do these services to the least of your brothers or sisters, you have done it unto me. That mandate becomes a great encouragement to us Christians. Hence, the Christians reach out in service to the last, least and the lost of the human society, such as lepers, HIV Patients, Street children, prisoners, old and the sick who are the rejected of the society which has grown used to the ‘use and throw’ culture.
Dr. Leo Cornelio, Archbishop of Bhopal said that, “Our mission is to provide relief in the fields of Leprosy cured , Our services provide relief and rehabilitation to those in need, irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
He also added that “I also always believe that all the human beings are the son and daughter of God and all should have same comfort level. Why should the leprosy patients deprive of everything? Why they should be abandoned? Why they need to beg? If God has graced us with even limited capability, we should work for the betterment of the poor, patients and society”.
Mahatma Gandhi Kuxtt Ashram was built in 1987 as leprosy colony with the help of Indienhilfe, Germany. The management of the society persuaded the patients not to beg and provided them with food clothing and medicines with the help of Indienhilfe Germany. The Ashram is running smoothly till date. Under the kind supervision of Fr. Franklin Rodrigues SFX, the colony was rebuilt by providing a small house to each family, a community hall for prayers and entertainment; a workshop to make carpets, shoes, saree’s; a dispensary to provide medicines; toilets and an open drinking water well. Today 80 families are accommodated in 80 different houses.
There are 23 children out of which 19 are girl and are being educated with the help of society of pillar. All the expenses are taken care by the society and children are doing well in regular and professional education like MBA, MSW, B.Sc. in Nursing, graduation etc. and younger are in the high school. Fr. Franklin personally keeps the track of all the leprosy patients and their children’s problem and tries to solve at the earliest.