Day 36

This woman got leprosy when she was 15 years old. She and her older sister were orphans, so her sister took her to the hospital and left, without ever coming back. She lived at the hospital for five years, until one of her fellow friends at the hospital went to Hyderabad and invited her along. They both ended up getting married there, and finally settling back in Nellore at the Seva Jyothi Leprosy Colony. Her husband died a couple of years ago from pneumonia, so she lives alone at the colony and supports herself and her daughter through begging from time to time. 

This man got leprosy when he was 13 years old. He was jealous of his friends happily going to school and continuing on with their lives, and he claims he couldn't handle being in their presence. He says his parents didn't kick him out, but instead he left his house on his own volition. I can't help but wonder how true this is. Through begging and odd jobs, he meandered around Nellore and eventually settled in Hyderabad. Some friends of his told him about another lady who had leprosy, and they arranged for a marriage between the two of them. They eventually settled down in Seva Jyothi, where they lived for 25 years. Three years ago, his wife was hit by a motorcycle and was killed on impact. He now lives with the lady above in a sort of cooperative life style, since they are both single and struggling to support their children. This man says he often didn't eat and worked very hard begging, and with the financial help of a local catholic convent, he was able to send his children to nursing school.