Leprosy - Part 2

Note before reading:
When i began to write this, i had in mind to share my experience but while writing, i just kept going from one subject to another. i'll try to arrange all in points. also i didn't think i'll write all that, so i hope u'll have enough patience to read it till the end :).

How it all began with me?
first time i went, it was in 2002. my brother (at that time still at school), with a group of friends, volunteered with caritas. there were different groups of volunteers, each with different volunteer work or task, and they choose that, going to abou zaabal with a group from belgium.

Who are the belgium group?
every year, for about more than 10 years, a group of about 15 volunteers come to egypt in july to work in abou zaabal. the association behind this is called Fondation Damien. this foundation is to fight against leprosy and tuberculose and help the countries in development. (i'll write later about this foundation).

Information about the place:
it is situated in abou zaabal in the Qalyoubeya governorat. it takes about an hour to go there from cairo.
the facility includes: 3 different locations, in the U form. the central (main) is in the base (for men), one for the men and the 3rd for the women.
the ministry of health supervises it, there r nurses working there and sisters (nons) also supervising the place, they go and return every day.
in each of the locations, there are either rooms, for 2 or 3 persons or big chamber, dormitory, with beds (3anbar or dortoir).
also outside this place, there's a center for kids younger than age of school (3-6 years old) and it is run by Caritas. and in this center, there's also lessons for girls (older) to learn trico and sewing and to learn reading and writing.

What we do there?
the belge group, most of them are studying nursing or medicine, they go to the people and help the nurses there. at the same time, every year there's a paiting project. this year we painted a dormitory (ceiling and walls). one year, last year, we painted 2 rooms of external clinics, the year before classes at the center, and the year before the walls of this center.
also for 2 days during the working period, we make some animations for the children: for example this year, teaching them how to brush their teeths, wash their face and hair, or doing some games.. it depends.

My experience:
well i guess now that you have a brief overview about the location, it will be easier to follow up.
the first time i went, i was a little afraid as anyone does when he faces a new thing, but not cos of the people there or the desease (though i didn't know much about the details).
anyway i was surprised, how the people there treat the belge, and how the belge treat them. i mean it is not their country, they pay for this to come and serve, i was really touched and impressed. they give them hugs and kisses, it was first strange for me to do that, but i get used to it and this grew from year to year, i feel that i like it and enjoy my time, the people there remembers me, sometimes they forget my name, but they remember me.
people there are simple people, rejected by the society. sometimes u can hear them shouting and fighting, but i guess this is normal between neighbours and deep inside they love each other.
they like when foreigners come, they feel that someone cares about them, that they leave everything to come for them.
as for the children in the center, they love it. they are very excited especially when someone takes their photo, they shout with the flash.
i can't describe all my feelings, but i learned a lot from there and i appreciate every moment i passed, the friendships i made, the people i met and i wish i can participate again.

that's all i can say now.. i'll try to post later about small things that happened and that touched me somehow.
thanks for ur patience.

Leprosy - Part 1

The last week i was volunteering at abou zaabal, at the leprosy, as i have been doing in summer for the last 3 years.
i'll try to talk more about the place, and things related to all that but as i am really busy, i'll try to post whenever i can.

Here is the first article, about the desease itself. i'm not a doctor, i don't understand all the technical words, so i'll simplify it as much as i can. Excuse me if i'm not getting into much details or if there r some mistakes (but u have to tell me about them)

Although leprosy was well known since old time, the bacteria causing it, Mycobacterium leprae, was discovered in 1873 by Gerhard A. Hansen (1841-1912). it comes from the greek word "lepros".

The symptoms of this disease:

• loss of sensation at the nerve end
• destroyed blood vessels, ligaments and skin tissues
• eroded bones
• sores
• ulcers
• scabs ( i don't know what this means so don't ask me, ask professionals)

Leprosy is neither hereditary nor infected by touch.
Close contact over a long period of time with an untreated person is needed in order to be infected with the disease. (the place i go, in abou zaabal, all people are already treated, i'll talk about there later in following posts).
and finally, leprosy can be cured.

sources:
http://www.tipsofallsorts.com/leprosy.html
http://www2.kenyon.edu/Projects/Margin/lepers.htm
http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/lecture/lec10641/

i took this picture at abou za3bal on thursday.
i don't have any words to describe it, so i leave it to u.

3rd of March, World Day of Leprosy

Many of you will wonder, what's the Leprosy? well, before 3 years ago, all i knew is that it's a skin desease, nothing more, nothing less..
i had the chance to go at the Leprosy in Abou Zaabal (in Qalyoubeya) and work there in summer with volunteers and it really touched me.
The problem in Egypt and maybe in other countries too is that there's not a lot of true information, people are afraid when they hear this word. maybe decades ago, when medicine was not so developped, it was dangerous. but now, the situation is different.
i can't deny that the first time i went there, i didn't like that the people living there hug and kiss me but then, i saw how the strangers (belge) do this with no hesitation. and also seeing the people was not so pleasent too, it was a difficult experience.
but after that, i kept going there in summer, year after year.. and i like it. and some people there remember me when i go.
last thing, the people there are not contagious, they were treated long time ago but they live there cos they don't have anywhere else to go, the society doesn't accept them. can u imagine that some of them are living there for 20 years or more!!
so, i hope that the look of the society towards them will change someday.