Leprosy victims today: Inclusion or alienation?

Purpose In ancient times, leprosy victims were completely shut out of society and hardly anybody was willing to step out and lend a helping hand to these social rejects. Times have changed, however, and so have people’s mindsets. Today, we are much more open towards leprosy patients and their condition. More help is being offered, but is this really enough to show that these victims are part of us? This interview determines what kind of mindset each individual takes on when it comes to the disease that is taking over six thousand lives each year. Hopefully, it will also open eyes on how it may feel to be in the shoes of a leprosy sufferer.

List of interview questions Why do you think it is still so difficult for leprosy victims to be accepted by society nowadays? Do you personally feel it is hard to accept these people for who they are? Why is that so? Are you provoked or disturbed by the sight of leprosy victims in public? Would you ever volunteer to help and come into close contact with a stranger who has leprosy? Why do you think others do not like to associate themselves with the less unfortunate who carry the disease?

Self-redemption My parents are rather busy nowadays. And very reluctant. I tried to get them to answer my questions but I do not think I got any full answers to put down so…

3 difficulties faced Difficulty #1 Firstly, I found it difficult to come up with a unique purpose for this interview. My solution was to put in a little backward time travel and a little history of leprosy in order to create a bigger picture.

3 difficulties faced Difficulty #2 Secondly, it was not easy coming up with a set of questions that have not been mentioned during class time before. I decided to ask questions that are thought- provoking because these are the questions that will be less commonly asked.

3 difficulties faced Difficulty #3 I found it very time consuming to do my research on leprosy. I guess it really is worth the trouble, because I gained some interesting knowledge in the process.

2 things learnt Lesson #1 I never did think that much about leprosy and its facts. It is only through this that I know that there is actually a cure to leprosy, and there is a home for ex-victims of leprosy in Singapore. This project really taught me to stop and think of the less fortunate, even while we are busying ourselves in school and the secular world.

2 things learnt Lesson #2 I feel that many members of the public still have the perceived fear that leprosy is very infectious, and therefore do not consider offering their help to patients. If I have the chance, I would tell people around me that leprosy victims and the less fortunate really need our help, and at individual level, we can always give more than we already are giving.

1 thing in the future I would like to really ask my parents about how they feel towards this topic. Also, I would interview a few of my friends of all ages. If they do not know much about the topic, I would definitely tell them a little more about leprosy.