Udayan

Revd. J.G. Stevens founded UDAYAN, a residential institution for the rehabilitation of children affected by leprosy. Its goal is to support and nurtur Read moree young people whose families have a history of leprosy. The name UDAYAN, which means rising, truly signifies the beginning of a new life for the 300 kids who live there. For more than forty years, UDAYAN has given more than seven thousand children and their families—who came from the leper colonies in and around Kolkata, India—love, care, and hope for a better future. What began with just eleven kids is now able to accommodate 200 males and 100 girls. ​ The children in this program, whose ages range from 4 to 18, have all been impacted by leprosy in some form. They also come from households where leprosy has affected families and have at least one parent who is afflicted. Currently, 5 percent of the project's offspring have the illness themselves. UDAYAN gives kids the chance to develop as they were intended to—free from the plague of leprosy and the poverty that goes along with it, giving them the ability to learn, play, and experience life to the fullest. These infants were born into an environment significantly different from UDAYAN's tranquil and healthy one. They graduate from UDAYAN with the knowledge and self-assurance needed to contribute positively to society. In India, children from families impacted by leprosy grow up to be healthy, happy, productive, and dignified adults. Udayan ends the intergenerational leprosy cycle. We give children from families impacted by leprosy a secure place to develop, study, and become independent. We help these kids and their families "rise above leprosy" by providing them with education, developing their personalities, and providing them with means of subsistence.