Your gifts to the CREATE appeal are training people affected by leprosy to become 'champions' in their communities who can effectively challenge discrimination and fight for change. Read on to learn more about Sharidah, one of our first leprosy champions, already making a difference in her village.

60-year-old Sharidah lives in a leprosy community in Chhattisgarh state, close to The Leprosy Mission's Champa Hospital. She's been living there since she felt forced out of village where she grew up, when her husband rejected her because of her leprosy.

Sharidah had been suffering the effects of the disease for some time, but it was when they became visible, with damage to her hands and feet, that he threw her out and kept her from seeing their children.

Thankfully now they're grown up, her children ignore the negative attitudes surrounding leprosy and often come to visit, making sure Sharidah is part of her grandchildren's lives. For some years now she's been part of a self-help group that has enabled her to set up a small grocery store and earn a regular income, but sadly, the stigma of leprosy still remains. Sometimes people don't want to shop there because of her disabled hands and feet, so her customers are mainly other people affected by leprosy.

When we first met Sharidah, we soon realised she had a real passion for creating change in her community. She was keen to improve life for other people affected by leprosy because, as she told us, she wants to 'give something back' when The Leprosy Mission has done so much to help her in the past.

Sharidah was excited to learn about the ways the CREATE project would be working in her local area. The aim of CREATE is to combat stigma and discrimination and improve life chances for people affected by leprosy. Part of this involves training up people to become 'leprosy champions' who can become advocates for those around them.

It was clear from talking to Sharidah that she would be an ideal leprosy champion for the village - and she was more than happy to help.

When we visited the village again recently, it was amazing to see first-hand the difference Sharidah has been helping to make. Her enthusiasm to see change happen means that this year, the community will have a piped water supply for the first time.

Around nine years ago, a new water tower was built on the edge of the community. It was built to supply the whole of the surrounding area, but the leprosy village was not included in this, leaving residents without a pipeline. Sharidah's self-help group wrote to different local government offices seeking answers but received no reply.

Eventually, they were promised that work on a connecting pipeline would soon start, but once the work had started it was soon put on hold. Sharidah - now trained as a leprosy champion - and her friends organised protests at the water tower and got in contact with authorities once more to explain why clean water is something everyone should have access to and why leprosy communities should not be forgotten about.

Before long, they saw success. Work on the pipeline started up again and Sharidah told us she was confident that it would be completed this time. If not, she already has plans for a new campaign! When finished, the pipeline will bring water to a communal tap in the village and eventually, will pipe water into individual homes.

Sharidah's success in making change for people affected by leprosy shows just how much of a difference leprosy champions have the potential to make - and what can be achieved by people standing on behalf of their communities against discrimination. Thanks to you, many more people like Sharidah will be trained as leprosy champions - and many more lives will change as a result.