Projects
Reconnecting the descendants of leprosy patients with their families
Help the descendants locate their birth parents and their search for their separated family members. In the case of those whose parents have passed on, we will help them to reconnect with their siblings and relatives, or locate their parents’ graves if possible. We hope that through this, the descendants would be able to restore family ties and re-trace their ancestry.
Students' Workshop
Organise workshops for students to visit the settlement and interact with the leprosy survivors, as we believe that those affected with leprosy would be the best people to dispel any myths and misconceptions some may have about leprosy. The youths would also be able to learn from the experience of the older folks, having overcome the challenges of leprosy, and teach them a lesson or two on courage and the will to live on, despite discrimination and marginalisation from society. Through this, we hope the younger generation would be able to learn about compassion, the importance of protecting human rights, and to promote justice, equality, empowerment and participation.
Public Talks and Seminars
Conduct public talks and seminars in order to remove misconceptions and myths about the disease, by sharing perceptions and experiences, and also to increase awareness in the community that leprosy is a curable disease. Inform the public about the life experiences of the residents and survival testimonies to foster the public’s understanding about the isolated emotional world of people affected by leprosy, and their family. We believe that the leprosy community is entitled to live with dignity and self-worth. An awareness campaign can create a new frame of reference that would replace outdated beliefs and traditions.
On-going Heritage Tours (Learn more!)
Invite the public and students to visit the settlement and interact with the residents through activities. We are happy to know that the new generations, especially the youth, have shown great interest in the history of the settlement and have a lively interest in the residents’ lives. These tours have also given them new perspectives on the leprosy community. With this, we hope that the Valley of Hope would be injected with a new vitality, thereby enhancing the cultural quality of the settlement.
Community Service Project
We work closely with various NGOs and corporate organisations to organise events that brings joy to the residents. We also encourage the leprosy survivors to share their own experiences, and through interacting with the public they can play a key role in disseminating stories about their community, and highlighting their hopes and plight. As the settlement gain in popularity, the place became livelier with more participation from organisations, via corporate social responsibility programmes like charity bazaars, cleaning of chalets, and donation of cash and kind, all of which have benefited the old folks greatly.