After having helped a few people, Michael felt the call to move to work among the leprosy-affected in Gandhi Leprosy Colony, Gulbarga. Michael and team started a series of programmes to give leprosy-affected a sense of worth and dignity through acceptance and self-reliance and to integrate them into society.
Initially, to help treat the leprosy-affect with common ailments, a medical clinic was started. Later the team started job-oriented training programmes such as tailoring and computer training to help the people learn skills and support themselves. ....
As the days went by, the team started a playschool for the little ones of working couples. Now, the parents went to work in peace - knowing that their children will be well cared.
Michael has also been advocating on behalf of the uneducated, voiceless, leprosy-affected people. The team has helped some in getting their own houses and in availing benefits from the government to others. They have also fought for the right to free electricity in the colony and get toilets fixed in every house.
The team started the cleanliness drive to spread the importance of cleanliness. Many programmes helped educated the leprosy-affected about the significance of hygiene. Also, a clean water system was installed in the colony.
The leprosy-affected people were not allowed in public places. As a result, they could not take their children to parks. On testifying the situation, Michael and his team constructed a park. Now, the parent and children, in the colony, could spend quality time with each other.
Education programme helped many children get into English medium, residential school. Six of the children have now graduated from 10th grade. They are looking to enrol in pre-university colleges and technical training institutes.
Over the years, Michael and his team have been trying to change the colony's begging mentality. Despite the constant efforts, there was very little response. But a couple of incidents in 2010 caused a domino effect that led to the extinction of begging mentality, in the colony.
One of the classmates of a residential schoolboy casually asked about the boy's father's occupation. The boy lied that his father was a watchman - fearing he would be humiliated. When the father heard this, he realised a need for change - at least for the sake of his son. The father became a watchman, in six months.
In another incident, the parents and their children were travelling to attend their children's annual day celebration. The constables noticed that children conversed well in English and wore modest dresses. Whereas, the parents were different. Suspecting them to be child traffickers the police arrested the adults at the railway station, in Bangalore. Michael had to call and convince the policemen the adults were children's parents. This incident triggered a desire in progenitors as well as others in Gandhi leprosy colony to change. Begging is virtually non-existence in the Gandhi Leprosy colony, now.
The Gandhi leprosy programmes are now being implemented in other leprosy colonies to affect the leprosy-affected communities with a sense of worth and dignity.
Gandhi Leprosy Colony, Gulbarga
Nurses Training Programme, Salem