1. Lepers: The True Story of the Exiles A Raymond Limantara Project

2. purpose victims of leprosy were shunned by society and forced to form leper colonies. They are neglected and left alone to suffer due to the public’s ignorance which has led to the creation of myths and unnecessary fear towards lepers. I aim to enlighten the public on the sufferings that the lepers face everyday and extract the truth from myths. Leprosy victims are equally human and they should not be treated differently Of this article…

3. Leprosy Leprosy (Hansen's disease) is a chronic infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae that results in damage primarily to the peripheral nerves (the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord), skin, testes, eyes, and mucous membrane of the nose. Because of the visible disfigurement in untreated people, people with leprosy have long been feared and shunned by others. Although leprosy is not highly contagious, does not cause death, and can be effectively treated with antibiotics, the disease still causes widespread anxiety. As a result, people with leprosy often suffer psychologically and from social problems. What’s that?...

4. More than 1 million people worldwide have leprosy. Leprosy is most common in Asia (especially India and Nepal), Africa, Latin America, and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. About 4,000 people in the United States are infected, most of them in California, Hawaii, and Texas. Almost all cases of leprosy in the United States involve people who emigrated from developing countries. The infection can start at any age but most commonly begins in the 20s and 30s. It is not clear how leprosy is spread. However, one way the disease is likely passed from person to person is through droplets expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person and breathed in or touched by an uninfected Person.

5. symptoms Severe pain Muscle weakness, especially in the hands and feet Skin stiffness and dryness Loss of fingers and toes Eye problems, which lead to blindness Enlarged nerves, especially those around the elbow (ulnar nerve) and knee (peroneal nerve).

6. myths Myth: Leprosy is caused by immoral behaviour - it's a curse. Truth: Leprosy is an infectious disease prevalent in areas of the world made vulnerable by high levels of poverty and malnutrition. The disease is caused by a germ, not a punishment or a curse. Myth: Leprosy is incurable. Truth: With Multi-Drug Therapy, leprosy can be cured. Myth: The disease spreads by touching someone with leprosy. Truth: 90 to 95 percent of people are naturally immune to the disease. For those at risk, prolonged exposure to droplets from sneezing and coughing by an infected person can cause the disease to spread. Myth: Nobody gets leprosy anymore. Truth: Every year, hundreds of thousands of new cases of leprosy are detected.

7. questions What do you think of leprosy and lepers? What do you know about them? What cause you to have this perspective? -because of the source -fear of being infected -fear due to ignorance -due to their condition Where did you first heard about leprosy? -friends, family, media, etc How reliable is the source? -any evidence? Do you think you would befriend them? Why would you say so? How would you change your thinking if I were to tell you that… -Leprosy victims suffer due to their condition -Leprosy is contagious -Leprosy is a curable disease Would you... -still have the same perspective -think otherwise Would you allow your child/ loved ones to befriend a leper or to come into close contact with them after knowing the real truth? Why? Where do you think these victims live? How do you think we help these victims? For the interview…

8. interview I apologize for my mum’s use of improper English. She is after all not a Singaporean and her command of the language is not too good. P.S audio file is in the same folder With my mum…

9. 3 difficulties I found difficulties in… Conducting the real interview as my parents were often not at home and they could not speak proper English. I had to sort of translate their answers and write a script for them to say during the real interview. Drafting the questions as it required me to at least have a basic idea on the topic. Finding people’s thoughts on the internet was not a simple task as there weren’t any websites providing the general public’s views. Most of the information found were mainly facts. Lastly, I had to work till midnight to finish this because I did not have time to do this on any other day except today [16 April 2008].

10. 2 things I learnt that the whole process of drafting interview questions, researching for facts and conducting the interview is not as simple as I thought it would be. Questions asked must be of a certain type to get the most of the person’s thoughts. I learnt about the plight of the lepers who were considered outcast of any society except for theirs, which I thought was very shocking. This project was truly an eye opener for me. Learnt…

11. What I plan to do In the future… If I have the chance and time I would like to embark on a community service learning project or other activities that allows me to help those who are individually different or those who are less fortunate. I believe that taking part in these activities will not only help the society but if every one does so, the world would be a better place to live in.

12. credits www.leprosy.ca To… diseases.emedtv.com/leprosy/leprosy-symptoms.html www.merck.com/mmhe/sec17/ch194/ch194a.html And… Not forgetting my mum who was willing enough to spare her time for the interview despite her poor command of English

13. thanks I didn’t add fancy effects or cool slide transition but I hope that this is enough So thanks a lot. Hope you enjoyed it?... For your time… By Raymond, For the leprosy sufferers