Raipur, Sunday, 10 May 2022: Sasakawa-India Leprosy Foundation (S-ILF), an organisation dedicated to the social and economic empowerment of persons affected by Leprosy and their families has initiated the creation of alumni networks of the youth from leprosy backgrounds.
One such network has been formed in Chhattisgarh. Since 2012, S-ILF has supported more than 80 youth from Leprosy colonies in the state to pursue higher professional education. Several of these S-ILF scholars are now doing jobs in reputed organisations and are well established. Seeing their mainstreaming and the potential to influence other youth from leprosy backgrounds, S-ILF has initiated a new platform where these scholars come together to form Youth Leadership Council.
More than 40 scholars joined the day-long training workshop to hone their leadership skills and came to a befitting end through a cultural event that was put up by the scholars. The program was held in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and provided an opportunity for scholars to interact with industry. The dignitaries present at the event included Mr. Tarang Khurana, Regional Chairman (Eastern region) Young Indians-CII, as the Chief Guest, and Dr. Vivek Lal, CEO, S-ILF. The event was organised at Hotel Simran International, Raipur.
The Youth Leadership Council is a diverse, youth-driven group that stands to uphold leadership, promote change, and will raise awareness about leprosy at the local, state, and national levels. The aim is to end the stigma against Leprosy & ensure equal social, economic, and cultural opportunities through networking among people affected by Leprosy and their families. S-ILF would continue to support the setting up of alumni networks across other states in the country.