Solar power brings light
to leprosy patients’ lives

SENDHWA, India (UCAN) — Solar power, thanks to a Catholic nun’s farsightedness, has become a blessing for leprosy patients in central India.

"Now, there is light in our homes and our lives," says Supal Apsingh, a long-time resident of Harsh Nagar (city of joy), a community of leprosy patients, in Sendhwa village in Khandwa diocese, Madhya Pradesh.

Some 75 of 92 houses in the enclave now use solar power because of the efforts of Sister Julia Thundathil, an Augustinian nun, the 50-year-old Hindu told UCA News on May 5.

"We are happy because we can now sit together and share stories and ideas for longer periods at night, which was not possible before," Apsingh added.

Another resident, Jagdish Lodhia, thanked the Church for helping them experience "the luxury of electricity in our huts." He also said he was touched by Church people’s concern for those rejected by others in society.

The Augustinian nuns have looked after these residents since 1985. However, the community came into existence some 40 years ago when some leprosy patients began living together and sharing their earning from begging.

Some Christian lay people helped develop the community before the nuns came, Apsingh said. "Without the sister’s help, I would not be alive," he said, adding that his wife and four children had chased him away after he contracted the dreaded disease.

Rona Baba, 75, the newest resident, said his seven children threatened to kill him if he didn’t leave the house. "I feel comfortable here," he told UCA News as he was being treated by some nuns.

Sister Thundathil said several generous people and a nearby company helped raise funds for the solar energy project. She said she is looking for similar help to light up other houses.

She said she opted for solar power because of frequent power cuts in the state. She also said she was shocked when a woman died after her hut caught fire from a kerosene lamp in a nearby village.

Sister Thundathil says she plans to introduce solar power to other villages to encourage people to use self-reliant techniques for energy instead of “cursing” the state electricity board.

May 6, 2010