In a move to empower leprosy patients and their families in Delhi NCR, the Rotary Club of Delhi South (RCDS) has installed an on-grid solar power plant at the Mother Teresa Home in Tahirpur, Delhi. The project, launched in partnership with Lepra and Assets Care and Reconstruction Enterprise Ltd (ACRE), aims to provide a sustainable source of energy for the patients and improve their quality of life. Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Mr. Manoj Tiwari, inaugurated the solar power plant and distributed tricycles to the patients.

Leprosy is a curable yet underreported disease that still affects thousands globally, with India accounting for 54% of new cases detected in 2020-21. To dispel the stigma surrounding the disease and improve medical care, RCDS, with its partners, takes a multi-pronged approach. The Leprosy Control Project, started in 2019, works towards raising awareness, training healthcare workers, actively finding cases, providing treatment and palliative care to patients, and rehabilitating them into society.

In addition to the solar power plant, RCDS has donated relief aid and tricycles to leprosy patients to improve their quality of life. The tricycles will help the patients move around more easily and regain their independence.

The initiative taken by RCDS highlights the crucial role of sustainable energy solutions in improving the health and well-being of marginalized communities. With this green initiative, RCDS has not only empowered leprosy patients with a sustainable source of energy but also made significant progress towards making India a leprosy-free nation. The club has set a commendable example for other organizations to follow in their endeavor to support the cause of leprosy patients and their families.