She said she would have died a long time ago if not for Embrace a Village. This is Gowri’s story. When Gowri was 25, she contracted leprosy. She and her husband barely survived on his labor wages, but they made ends meet. Despite ten years of leprosy treatment, she...
Nandini dreams of being a police officer. But “the cards are stacked against her.” She’s from a poor leprosy village. Her dad sells chicken eggs as his primary income. She and her two brothers know hunger because her parents struggle to put food on the table. Yet...
Empowering the Next Generation As we start our fall routines, and kids head back to school (or onto college!) It's an exciting season for many of us. But can you imagine if you never had the opportunity to go to school? How would your life look different? Lack of...
Papathi was cared for by a friend in her colony who also suffered from leprosy. Together, they barely survived. When he passed away, Papathi was left all alone. The agony of dealing with leprosy and loneliness was all-encompassing for her. One day, when our team was...
From begging on the street to renewed purpose! It is too often that we meet people forced into a life they never imagined or wanted because of leprosy and the terrible stigma that comes along with it. Our dear friend Abdul Rehim experienced the life-altering effects...
Your support provides life-changing care to the villages! The Embrace a Village team first met Mottayan in one of the remote villages of the Salem district in Tamilnadu. About a year ago, we learned that there was one man in desperate need of medical care and was at...
She was on the verge of death but now knows hope! We are thankful to introduce you to our friend Kitatha. She nearly lost her life to leprosy and spent most of her life on the streets begging. At one point in her life, she was married, but her husband left her after...
Left alone in her home almost every day, our friend’s young adult years were spent in fear and deep loneliness. Priyadarshini is a 23-year-old caring woman living with her husband and one-year-old daughter. Her story is like too many others, she never imagined she...
God sees the needs long before we do! Krishnaveni is a sweet woman who lives alone in one of the leprosy colonies in Chennai. Leprosy has impacted her since she was 17 years old, and now at 68, her only source of income is begging. As you can imagine, she’s suffered...
Kids have the opportunity to dream big! Leprosy affects the entire family and it’s no surprise that the children’s prospects for the future suffer. Without a good education, they often remain living in the colonies and the cycle of poverty and hopelessness continues....
BIG DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE This year marks 19 years since Joe first encountered the devastating effects that leprosy has on people's lives in India, and God called him to join up with Anil Kumar and start to Embrace a Village. Your prayers, support, and encouragement...
One Trip that Changed Everything For Joe, the birth of Embrace a Village started on a mission trip in 2002. He visited different parts of the world but was intensely moved by the suffering he saw in India. The people affected by leprosy were shunned by society and...