INTOUCH Spring 2026
Cure One Updates Nepal Flash floods Standing Together in Challenging Times -
Welcome “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 Welcome to the spring edition of inTouch.
harm, shaken his confidence and disrupted his childhood.
I often think that spring is a lovely reminder of God’s steadfast faithfulness. We can trust in God who never changes, even when everything around us does.
Today, thanks to the faithful support of our Cure One supporters, Ajay has completed his leprosy treatment and is looking forward to starting senior school.
Spring brings renewed hope. After the long darkness of winter, new life emerges, and we can see our way into the light and warmth ahead.
You will also meet Gauri, our new Cure One ambassador, who is just starting her own journey toward healing. I hope you will walk alongside her the way so many of you walked with Ajay, through prayer and support. Over the coming year, I will share her progress with you.
It’s a season that beautifully reflects the differences you are making too!
I’m also delighted to share some reflections from my recent trip to Papua New Guinea, where I had the privilege of meeting people affected by leprosy and seeing firsthand how your support is bringing hope and practical help to vulnerable children and families in some of the world’s most challenging places.
In many ways, spring reflects the transformation I see every day through the work of the Mission. Lives that have been marked by leprosy, poverty and exclusion can begin again. With the right care, support and opportunity, people can find healing, regain confidence and look towards a future filled with assurance and hope.
One of the highlights of my trip was meeting Faith and Kiteni, the twins I wrote to you about in our recent appeal. Spending time with them and their extended family has been incredibly special.
The theme of new beginnings runs throughout this edition, and I hope you can see the joy that you have brought to so many lives!
In this edition of inTouch, you’ll also find our Annual Review, celebrating the impact we have been able to make together during 2025. And as we look at the challenges our partner communities face, including the
In these pages, you will read how young Ajay’s life has been restored through your compassion and support. When you first met him, leprosy had caused physical 2
rising cost of living and inflation, we are reminded of just how vital your support is. These pressures are felt most deeply by people who already have the least, and your love and compassion help ensure that the essential leprosy care and support can continue to reach those who need it most. And finally, you can read about our recent partnership with Lorna Riley at Coast radio. In July, Lorna spent two weeks on-air raising funds and awareness for children affected by leprosy in Papua New Guinea. It has been encouraging to see so many New Zealanders stand together for children like Faith and Kiteni. As you read these stories, I hope you are reminded that lasting change often starts in simple but powerful ways: an early
diagnosis, timely treatment, a moment of kindness, access to education, or someone choosing to walk alongside another in their journey. Thank you for being part of that change. Your prayers, support and encouragement are helping create new beginnings for people affected by leprosy around the world.
God Bless,
gw1 Gillian Whitley
Executive Director
YOUTH ADVOCATE SCHOLARSHIP 2028 A journey to Nepal: where compassion meets action Each year a group of young New Zealanders (aged 18-25) has the opportunity to experience the work of the Mission in Nepal as a Youth Advocate and to walk alongside people affected by leprosy and become advocates for the work God is doing through us. They return home changed, with a deeper faith, a wider view of the world, and friendships that last a lifetime.
Apply Now!
Applications for 2027-2028 are open. Now is the time to pray, talk, and encourage. Perhaps it’s your son or daughter, a niece or nephew, or a young person from your church who’s ready for this lifechanging adventure. Don’t let this moment pass them by! Scan this to hear some powerful reflections from our past Youth Advocates, or visit our website at leprosymission.org.nz/YAS-2028
Ajay’s Life is Restored But leprosy is no longer defining what Ajay believes his future can hold.
Over the past year, you have followed Ajay’s journey, from a frightened 11-year-old in India whose hands had lost all feeling to leprosy, to the happy, confident boy you see today.
A Bicycle That Changes Everything Next year, Ajay is expected to start senior school. There was just one problem: his new school is much farther from home.
And what a journey it has been. You may remember how his story began. What should have been years of play and learning were overshadowed by leprosy and poverty. It started with small patches of numbness on his hands. His family, unaware of what it meant, turned to a local healer. By the time Ajay reached specialist care, leprosy had already caused significant nerve damage.
Without reliable transport, his grandfather and primary caregiver was concerned that continuing Ajay’s education could become difficult.
The team at the Leprosy Mission in India had a wonderfully practical solution—a new bicycle.
His fingers had curled inward and he had lost sensation in his hands, the very sense that normally warns us of heat, injury and danger.
For Ajay, it means much more than getting from one place to another. It means being able to travel independently to senior school, continue his education and take another step towards the future he is beginning to imagine for himself.
A turning point came when a neighbour guided the family to the Leprosy Mission’s Naini Hospital. There, Ajay was correctly diagnosed and began Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT), the treatment that cures leprosy.
His reaction says it all: “My life is changing because of this new bike. I have never been happier. Thank you!”
Curing the disease was only the beginning. Ajay went on to receive reconstructive surgery, physiotherapy and specialist care for painful leprosy reaction. Step by step, the hospital team worked with him to restore movement, protect his hands from further injury and help him regain his independence.
Ajay has been diligently learning to ride and building the confidence he will need to make the journey to senior school on his own.
Today, we are delighted to share that Ajay has completed his MDT and is cured of leprosy.
He has also asked that his heartfelt thanks be passed on to Cure One supporters here in New Zealand.
Even better, he is back at school and looking forward to his future.
For a boy who has already overcome so much, his bicycle represents something wonderfully ordinary: the freedom to go to school, spend time with friends and get where he needs to go under his own steam.
His medical journey is not completely over. Because Ajay has experienced a leprosy reaction, his health will continue to be monitored. Reactions can occur even after MDT has been completed and may require prompt treatment to prevent further nerve damage.
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And that is what restoration can look like.
Through Cure One, New Zealand supporters have walked alongside Ajay through diagnosis, cure, surgery, rehabilitation and recovery. Now we have the privilege of seeing him move forward with greater confidence and independence. Please continue to keep Ajay in your prayers as he grows, returns fully to everyday life and prepares for senior school.
You can scan this QR code to watch Ajay riding his new bike!
As your personal Cure One contact, Diane is here to help you as you Cure, Care for and Restore someone living with leprosy like Kamal. Call or contact Diane with any questions or to discuss various secure payment methods, or just to talk about how good it is to set people free from leprosy. Call Diane at (09) 631 1800 or freephone 0800 862 873; alternatively email: diane.simpson@leprosymission.org.nz
What a wonderful way to achieve No Child with Leprosy by 2035. One child at a time.
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Gauri Begins Her Cure One Journey For a girl who loved to learn, this was the deepest wound of all, because for a young girl like Gauri in India, education is often the one hope of escaping lifelong poverty.
In a village in India, a bright and studious schoolgirl named Gauri once loved nothing more than her lessons. Outgoing, clever and full of promise, she had her whole future ahead of her. Then, quietly, it began to unravel.
“Now at 18, I often feel sad and wonder why this happened to me,” Gauri cried. “I feel ashamed when I look at my hand.”
“I noticed white patches on my body,” Gauri remembers.
“We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20
She was just a child. By the time she was 12, leprosy had begun attacking the nerves in her hands, drawing the tendons tight until her fingers curled into claws. A visit to the district hospital brought the diagnosis no family wants to hear.
“The doctor told me I had leprosy. When I heard that, it felt very strange … I was very sad. My parents were sad and worried.” Word travelled fast through her village, and with it came the ancient fear that has followed leprosy for thousands of years. Neighbours who once welcomed Gauri began to pull away.
“People in the village started treating me differently,” she says quietly. Even visits to relatives became painful.
“People started asking questions like what happened to my hand and why it looked like this. It felt very bad.” One by one, the doors of ordinary childhood closed. She stopped visiting family. She stopped going out. Eventually, she stopped going to school altogether. 18-year-old Gauri at the Leprosy Mission Naini Hospital in India.
“I had to stop my studies. I was not able to do my work properly.” 6
It was in this fragile, frightened state that Gauri found her way to the nearest Leprosy Mission Hospital in India.
But Gauri’s journey doesn’t end there. Leprosy has already left its mark on her hands, and she will need reconstructive surgeries to release her clawed fingers and restore movement.
The tearful young woman had been carrying alone a disease and a stigma no one should have to bear.
Gauri loves needlework. Her dream is to get trained in stitching and tailoring one day, giving her the skills to earn a living and support herself and her family, and escape poverty for good.
Cure, Care, Restore There’s so much that can be achieved through Cure One. And together, we can make sure Gauri finds freedom from this destructive disease.
For just $20 a month, you can Cure One like Gauri, helping someone affected by leprosy to live free from stigma and its physical effects.
Because of the ongoing help of Cure One supporters, Gauri’s leprosy treatment has already begun.
Over the coming year, we will bring you updates on Gauri’s progress.
Gauri needs to complete her full course of Multi-Drug Therapy to cure her leprosy. That is the first and most urgent step.
Please pray that Gauri responds well to treatment and is protected from further harm caused by leprosy.
Will you walk alongside someone like Gauri and become a Cure One supporter? Please visit www.cureone.org.nz or phone Diane at (09) 631 1800 or email Diane.Simpson@leprosymission.org.nz
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Standing Together in Challenging Times Together, we can make a difference.
We’ve felt it at the supermarket. The petrol pump. The power bill.
Give regularly: When prices can change
Here in New Zealand, the rising cost of living has become part of everyday life. But for many families affected by leprosy, rising prices can have much more serious consequences.
from one month to the next, regular giving provides valuable certainty, allowing local teams to plan ahead and continue essential treatment and care.
Many rely on low-paid or daily work, while stigma can make finding employment even more difficult. When food, transport and other essentials cost more, there may simply be nowhere left to cut. A bus fare to a clinic can compete with food for the family.
Pray: Please pray for provision, wisdom and strength for our local teams, and for families facing the added pressure of rising costs. Share life stories: Sharing the lived
experience of leprosy can build understanding, challenge stigma and inspire others to work towards No Child with Leprosy by 2035.
Rising costs also stretch the resources our local teams rely on. It simply costs more this year to Cure, Care for and Restore a person affected by leprosy.
We can help make sure cost is not the reason someone misses out on diagnosis, treatment or the care they need.
Cure: The medicine that cures leprosy
is provided free of charge, but finding the person who needs it and getting them correctly diagnosed is not. Reaching remote communities, recognising the signs of leprosy and connecting people with health services all require trained people, transport and resources.
Your generosity helps keep Cure, Care and Restore within reach for people affected by leprosy.
Care: Wounds, ulcers and nerve damage can require ongoing dressings, protective footwear, physiotherapy and nutritional support. As the cost of supplies and transport rises, accessing that care becomes more difficult. Delays can increase the risk of permanent nerve damage and disability. Restore: Self-help groups, vocational training and small business grants can provide opportunities for people affected by leprosy to rebuild livelihoods and independence. But rising prices mean a grant that once helped someone establish a small stall may no longer cover the basic costs of getting started.
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Hope in the Midst of Crisis Last month, devastating flash floods and landslides swept through parts of central Nepal, leaving a trail of destruction across communities northwest of the Kathmandu Valley.
Wounds and ulcers can also become more difficult to manage when healthcare is disrupted. Our team continues to work tirelessly to provide basic healthcare, essential medicines, wound and ulcer care, self-care support, psychosocial support and referrals for people whose usual access to services has been affected.
Homes and livelihoods were destroyed, families displaced and vital roads and services disrupted. The main highway connecting many of these communities was also badly damaged, making it difficult for people to access food, shelter and healthcare.
This work is crucial. It means that even in the midst of a disaster, people affected by leprosy can continue receiving the care they need.
As Nepal responded to this disaster, the Leprosy Mission Nepal team worked on the ground to make sure people affected by leprosy and other vulnerable families are not forgotten.
Bringing hope in a time of crisis The dedicated team in Nepal is no stranger to responding in times of crisis. They were there during the devastating 2015 earthquake and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Their experience, local relationships and the trust they have built within communities mean they are well placed to respond quickly and reach people in need. And they do not do this work alone. Your support enables the Leprosy Mission to stand alongside people affected by leprosy when they are at their most vulnerable. It helps ensure that emergency assistance reaches those who need it, while essential healthcare and rehabilitation services continue.
A team ready to respond
As Nepal begins the long road towards recovery, please continue to pray for the Leprosy Mission team in Nepal and for the families and communities affected by the floods and landslides.
While the Nepal Government led the wider emergency response, the Leprosy Mission Nepal team worked alongside local authorities to provide targeted assistance to people who may otherwise be overlooked.
May God strengthen those who are afraid, comfort those who are grieving, and bring hope and restoration to communities facing an uncertain future.
Their response included emergency shelter materials such as tarpaulins, blankets and sleeping mats, as well as food, household essentials, hygiene and dignity kits, solar lighting, medicines and first-aid supplies. But their work went beyond immediate relief. Floodwaters can interrupt leprosy treatment, prevent people from reaching health facilities and damage essential assistive devices such as crutches and wheelchairs.
Thank you for standing with people in Nepal.
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Scan this QR code to read more about the effects of the flash floods and how our team responded during this challenging time.
My Recent Visit to Papua New Guinea I have recently returned from travelling to Papua New Guinea to spend time with our local team and visit communities where children and families affected by leprosy are receiving treatment and care through PHACE, our Preventative Health and Community Empowerment programme.
This has been an especially difficult year for Faith and Kiteni. Their mother died earlier this year, bringing profound loss to a family already dealing with the impact of leprosy.
It was a visit filled with connection and encouragement, but also a powerful reminder of the challenges families face in communities where access to health services can be incredibly difficult.
Leprosy has damaged the nerves in Faith’s right hand so severely that she can no longer write with it. Determined not to let this stop her education, she has been teaching herself to write with her left hand. Every word takes extra effort. Every line takes patience. But Faith has persevered.
Yet these two young girls continue to look ahead.
Meeting Faith and Kiteni
Praise God, we recently received the wonderful news that Faith is back at school.
One of the most special moments for me was meeting Faith and Kiteni, the twin sisters I had written to you about not long before my visit. Alongside members of our local team, I visited the twins at their home and spent time with their family. I could see firsthand some of the challenges they face, but also their determination and the care surrounding them.
For Kiteni, the journey is more difficult right now. She dreams of being a teacher, but the swelling in her face and the effects of leprosy can leave her so unwell that she is unable to attend school. 10
Her journey is not over yet, but neither is her hope.
Volunteers Reaching Remote Communities
nutrition and sanitation, helping build understanding of this curable disease and challenge the fear and stigma that can surround it.
Community Health Volunteers are at the heart of PHACE. One of those volunteers is Bonnie, whose persistence helped change the course of Faith and Kiteni’s lives.
Through our partnership with the New Zealand Government and the generosity of our New Zealand community, more volunteers can be trained and equipped to recognise the early signs of leprosy, connect people with treatment and care, and strengthen preventative health within their communities.
For years, no one knew what was causing the twins’ illness. When the PHACE team reached their community, Bonnie recognised the signs of leprosy and helped connect the girls with the diagnosis and treatment they needed.
Seeing PHACE in Action
Faith and Kiteni began Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT), the combination of medicines that will cure their leprosy. Bonnie has continued to support the twins to complete their treatment and has also advocated for them within their community, helping challenge the stigma surrounding leprosy.
Seeing PHACE in action reinforced for me why this programme matters so much. It is not simply about treating an individual disease. It is about reaching communities where health services can be difficult to access and equipping local people with the knowledge and skills to protect the health of their own communities.
“We are so happy that a cure exists,” Faith says. “Receiving treatment and help from the Leprosy Mission has been a huge blessing.”
And behind the programme statistics are people. People like Faith and Kiteni, grieving the loss of their mother while continuing their treatment and finding their way back to school. People like Bonnie and the other Community Health Volunteers who keep walking, travelling and returning to make sure families are not forgotten. There were times during my visit when I felt overwhelmed by the need. The distances people travel, the difficulty of accessing healthcare and the challenges faced by families can seem enormous.
While I didn’t have the opportunity to meet Bonnie on this visit, I did spend time with other Community Health Volunteers and was delighted to personally pass on the messages of encouragement sent by supporters here in New Zealand.
But alongside that need, I saw commitment, courage and hope within our team, in communities and particularly in the Community Health Volunteers serving their own people.
These volunteers often go to extraordinary lengths to serve their communities, travelling on foot or by boat to reach remote villages and returning to check on families who need ongoing treatment and care. They also work alongside communities to share knowledge about leprosy, hygiene,
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I am reminded that we do not face these challenges in our own strength. Jesus tells us, “With God all things are possible.” I returned home encouraged by what I had seen and with renewed hope for what is possible for Faith and Kiteni, for their community and for the work still ahead in Papua New Guinea.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN 2025 Thanks to your ongoing support, the Leprosy Mission NZ remains committed to curing, caring for and restoring people affected by leprosy.
Income Received
Thanks to supporters like you, we had an incredible financial year in 2025. You helped raise $7,783,220 last year.
5.5%
50.9%
We were able to meet all of our project commitments as well as provide extra funding for vital research and support leprosy work in DR Congo and Mozambique.
43.6%
82.1% of the money expended was on our programmes. That’s thousands of people affected by leprosy receiving MDT (Multi-Drug Therapy), hospital care, surgery, counselling, physiotherapy, vocational training, self-help group support and preventative health awareness.
Private Income
50.9%
$3,958,990
NZ Government Grants
43.6%
$3,391,722
Interest/ Other Income
5.5%
$432,598
100.0%
$7,783,220
Total
Where the money goes 4.5% Education
Total expenditure: $$7,308,775
$330,556
10.4% Supporter Engagement and Fundraising $758,199
82.1% Programmes $5,999,847
1.9% Administration and Governance $140,952
1.1% Depreciation $79,221
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2,087
THANKS TO YOU
people were identified as close contacts of people diagnosed with leprosy and received one dose of Rifampicin in New Zealand supported projects.
14,000 new leprosy cases were diagnosed and placed on Multi-Drug Therapy treatment in New Zealand supported projects.
1,330 community members participated in preventative health training in Bougainville, strengthening local capacity to promote healthy behaviours and prevent avoidable health conditions.
4,702 total leprosy consultations in Faizabad Hospital in India.
262 admitted for ulcer treatment with an average length of stay of 38 days at Anandaban Hospital in Nepal.
1,849 children affected by leprosy and diasability were supported to access healthcare and education in India.
17,791 participants in Timor-Leste’s awareness raising activities on preventative health, gender-based violence and rights-related issues.
Photos are from Lorna’s trip to Nepal in 2018.
The Trip that never left Lorna Riley We have recently wrapped up a very special partnership with Coast FM host Lorna Riley. In July, Lorna spent two weeks on-air raising funds and awareness to cure children affected by leprosy in Papua New Guinea. The response was wonderful. With support from New Zealand listeners, together with matched funding through the New Zealand Government’s Aid Programme, Lorna’s campaign will contribute to reaching children like 15-year-old twin sisters Faith and Kiteni with the diagnosis, treatment and care they need.
“I remember thinking, how can this still be happening when there’s a cure?” Lorna says.
For Lorna, this was about much more than a radio campaign. Her connection to leprosy goes back to 2018, when she travelled to Nepal with the Leprosy Mission New Zealand. What she saw has stayed with her ever since. She met families living with a disease many New Zealanders assume disappeared generations ago. She saw people whose hands had been permanently damaged by the condition. She met children whose futures were being limited, not by their potential, but by their lack of access to treatment.
Eight years on, that question is still driving her, which is exactly why she chose to give her voice and her platform to children in Papua New Guinea this July. 14
A cause that’s become personal Since that trip to Nepal, Lorna has faced serious health battles of her own. Two breast cancer diagnoses, chemotherapy, radiation treatment, multiple surgeries and the loss of her brother have changed her perspective on life and health. Through it all, she has spoken openly about the fear, uncertainty and resilience that come with illness. It’s given her a deeper understanding of why access to treatment matters so much. “When you’ve been through major health challenges, you realise how much access to treatment matters,” she says. “Nobody should lose their future because they can’t get medicine.”
“I’ve seen the impact of leprosy with my own eyes. I’ve seen what happens when people don’t get treatment, and I’ve seen the difference it makes when they do.” “We already have the cure. Now we need to get it to the children who need it.” Over those two weeks, Lorna turned something she witnessed eight years ago into an opportunity for thousands of New Zealanders to hear about a disease that still affects children today.
The response from listeners has helped turn awareness into action by supporting our shared goal of No Child with Leprosy by 2035. We are deeply grateful to Lorna, Coast FM and everyone who listened, shared the story or responded to her call.
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Become a Cure One supporter today from just $20 a month Gauri’s leprosy started with white patches on her body. Then, at only 12 years old, leprosy started deforming her hands, attacking the tendons, causing them to claw. She can no longer use her hands for schoolwork. Her neighbours fear her now, leaving Gauri isolated, heartbroken and ashamed. Gauri is at the very first step of a year-long climb through Cure, Care and Restore. She cannot do this alone. She needs someone like you to say, “ Yes, I will Cure One like Gauri.”
Please join Cure One today and give someone like Gauri their year of the Lord’s favour. A time to heal. A year to set them free from leprosy. Please scan QR code, call or email:
0800 862 873
leprosymission.org.nz/CureOne