A $21,000 generator will make a massive difference to a Nepalese hospital dedicated to combating leprosy, and two Dunedin medical students are determined their fundraising drive will get it bought.
Clemency Johnstone and Jess Kokshoorn (both 20) are recipients of this year's nine-strong Leprosy Mission New Zealand youth advocate scholarship.
As part of their role they visited Nepal in January and saw the reality of leprosy in the 21st century.
In the region where Nepal and India meet, leprosy was still common due to crowded living conditions, the locals' poor immune systems, and widespread malnutrition, Ms Kokshoorn said.
The bacteria responsible for the disease affected the nerves in the hands, feet, and around the eyes, and could quickly lead to a loss of feeling in those areas, she said.
As most people in the region walked long distances barefoot, those with leprosy often did not know they had wounded their feet, which could lead to serious infections.
Treatment was relatively simple: if the disease was caught early, a multiple-drug therapy would cure it, Ms Johnstone said.
But because of the social stigma attached to leprosy - those suffering from the disease are considered cursed in Nepal - many are reticent to come forward.
''They're not willing to own up to having the loss of sensation, because if they do, they risk their family and community ostracising them,'' she said.
Amputation became the only treatment option once infection reached a certain level, and the Anandaban hospital the students visited in January, just south of Kathmandu, was a key provider of those operations, she said.
The hospital was stretched to its limits in January, but the devastating April earthquake made the need for assistance acute.
That has brought a corresponding increased need for reliable electricity, something only a generator could provide.
Their first fundraising event is tomorrow at North Dunedin's Elim Church, in Harrow St, with a high tea from 3pm.
They have asked church groups and friends to bake, friends will be waiting staff, while they will give a short talk about their own Nepal experiences.
