Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) Initiaive President Dr. Takahiro Nanri and Programme Officer Ryoko Ogawa visited the Bogura Federation and Lepra Bangladesh office, where they observed presentations on the Mind to Heart (M2H) project and the Sasakawa Leprosy Initiative Young Scholars Programme (SYSP). They also attended presentations delivered by each of the five Young Scholars, followed by a certificate-giving ceremony recognising their participation in the programme and a theatrical performance.
The SHF team also visited the TMSS Technical Training Institute in Bogura, where they met with institute officials and visited the computer laboratory where the Young Scholars are currently enrolled in the Basic Computer Skills and Graphics Design course.
Prior to the visit to the institute, the SHF team had a short meeting with Prof. Dr. Hosne-Ara Begum, Founder and Executive Director of TMSS. During the meeting, the team expressed their appreciation to Prof. Dr. Hosne-Ara Begum for providing technical support to the Sasakawa Leprosy Initiative Young Scholars Programme (SYSP) as a technical partner of Lepra Bangladesh. They also discussed opportunities for future collaboration to support people affected by leprosy in Bogura.
Later, the team returned to the Lepra Bangladesh office for an interactive discussion with Bogura Federation leaders and 13 ‘Mental Motivators’ – community volunteers supporting the implementation of the Mind to Heart project and promoting the mental, physical and socioeconomic wellbeing of people affected by leprosy.
The SHF team subsequently visited Churkuta village in Sherpur Sub-district, Bogura, where they met with community members affected by leprosy and learned more about their experiences and the challenges they face.
Reflecting on the visit, Dr. Takahiro Nanri, President of Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) Initiative has a special message for the Young Scholars:
My dear Young Scholars, you are the bright stars! So, my heartiest request is, do not forget to smile. We hope that through gaining knowledge and skills from the Sasakawa Leprosy Initiative Young Scholars Programme, you will become more capable, empower yourselves, earn a livelihood, and be able to take care of yourselves, your families, and your communities.
Ryoko Ogawa, Programme Officer at the Sasakawa Health Foundation, expressed her appreciation for the warm welcome and excellent coordination provided during the visit. She said that it was a “truly meaningful and valuable experience” to meet the M2H Mental Motivators, psychological counsellors, Young Scholars, mentors and leaders of the Bogura Federation, and to have the opportunity to talk with them and learn about their experiences.
The visit provided a valuable opportunity for SHF representatives to engage directly with programme participants, community leaders, volunteers and partners, and to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the initiatives supported by the Foundation.
A special thank you to the representatives of the Sasakawa Health Foundation for their continued support for communities affected by leprosy in Bogura, and to the staff, volunteers, Young Scholars, mentors and community leaders for their inspirational dedication to the projects and the people they serve.
