Diya* is familiar with hunger and pain. She has leprosy and is an outcast. In India’s culture, widows and lepers are despised and abandoned by their family, friends, and the rest of society. Most lepers are forced to leave their homes and fend for themselves.
Facts about India’s culture:
WIDOWHOOD is considered a curse or bad luck.
WIDOWS AND LEPERS are often found begging on the streets.
MANY LEPERS live in leper colonies, since they are often rejected by family and friends.
INDIA’S MAJOR religions are Hinduism, Buddhis , and Sikhism.
One night Diya had a vision. She saw a person in white who told her He would provide! Soon after Diya’s dream, CAM contacts gave her a food parcel and offered her monthly support. She is sure Jesus answers her cry.
For most of her life, Diya worshiped the idols she kept in her hut. Now the idols are gone and she believes in Jesus. Her cheerfulness and infectious laugh spill out to others, in spite of her leprosy. Although her monthly parcel is the only food she receives, she wants to share it with others.
*Name changed to protect identity.
