A woman supporting an isolated community in Gurugram

Jyotsna Anand has dedicated decades to supporting a leprosy colony in Gurugram, transforming lives through education and healthcare, fostering dignity and inclusion.

When Jyotsna Anand first arrived in Gurugram nearly 30 years ago, the city was a cluster of villages and colonies, making way for the upcoming urbanisation. A turning point came in her life when she received an unexpected invitation from her neighbour.

Jyotsna Anand (Parveen Kumar/HT)

“In November 1995 during my neighbour’s birthday, his family invited me to visit a community of people affected by leprosy or Hansen’s disease, near New Colony in Old Gurugram,” said Anand adding that the visit stayed with her for years.

According to Anand, the people in the colony lived in mud structures, with little access to sanitation, healthcare or steady income. “People were scared of even going near them. It was as if they were completely isolated by society,” she said.

Anand, a teacher by profession, said that the visit reopened an old memory from her school years. In 1984, Anand was nine-year-old when she met Mother Teresa during a school interaction. “I remember being deeply moved by the idea of serving people without judging them,” she said adding that the visit to the area reignited the same feeling.

“My family, my in-laws were sceptical at first. They were scared if I would contract the disease, but I always gave them the example of Mother Teresa,” Anand said.

“Media played a great role in spreading awareness about the disease,” she said. “Media coverage encouraged various organisations and individuals to come forward to help these people.”

According to Anand the major challenge was to ensure that children growing up in the colony were not trapped in poverty and exclusion.

In 1999 Anand started organising health camps for the children and helped them attain medical certificates to certify that they did not have the disease. Anand said she then approached multiple schools to admit these students. Many of those children are now working as IT professionals, teachers and healthcare professionals.

Residents in the colony describe her as a constant pillar of support. “She never treated us differently,” said one resident whose family has lived there for over two decades. “Even when others avoided coming here, she kept visiting.”

Anand who is now 52-years-old, works with children from the colony as well as nearly 40 children from nearby underprivileged families, helping with basic education, school admissions and mentorship. Around 20 years ago, Anand said, she opened an educational trust named Prakash Educare with 13 other women to help pay the school and tuition fees of underprivileged children.

“We keep regular checks on the progress of the students. Our volunteers sometimes tutor the kids themselves,” said Anand. “People living with leprosy already carry enough stigma. What they need most is dignity and inclusion,” she said.