Hidden Lives
by Leprosy Mission Australia
Latest episode
44. One opportunity is all it takes
44. One opportunity is all it takes
About this podcast
This podcast contains stories of people we've met during our work with The Leprosy Mission.
The Leprosy Mission Australia works with people with leprosy, other neglected tropical diseases and disabilities. They are often the most marginalised, vulnerable and hidden from the rest of society. We run health improvement projects, often in rural and remote villages where we get to meet many people who have amazing life experiences to share.
Yes, leprosy is still a thing but it doesn't have to be.
If you want to learn more, please visit: https://stillathing.org
Episodes
The newest 20 of 44 episodes
- 44. One opportunity is all it takes · 17 min · Episode 4419 year old Amrita has seen how hard her mother works to provide for the family and how illness has taken away her father's independence. When an opportunity for a university…
- 43. The life you don't see · 23 min · Episode 43Maya lives in an informal settlement on the outskirts of a rural village. She lives a quiet life, doing household chores, chatting to neighbors and tending to their small veggie…
- 42. Leprosy, yes it's still a thing · 32 min · Episode 42We are excited to be participating in Podcasthon 2026, a platform creating awareness of the amazing charitable causes from around the world. This special episode talks all things…
- 41. When love and fear sits side by side · 19 min · Episode 41When Shanta started to feel her body get increasingly weaker and pain grew more intense, she thought she was going to die. She spend many hours crying, not because of her fear…
- 40. A lingering curse · 21 min · Episode 40Kshitiz is certain that he is cursed to have leprosy for the rest of his life. He's ready to face it head on. But now that he has a daughter, he's worried that she will inherit…
- 39. Things unseen · 13 min · Episode 3910 year old Raju was happy doing all things normal 10 year old boys do in his village. But one day, on the way to school, he met a traditional healer who told him to drop out of…
- 38. Doing life barefoot · 14 min · Episode 3848 year old Khem has never worn a pair of shoes in her life. Born with a problem that prevents her from placing her foot flat on the ground, she was never able to wear a pair of…
- 37. An independent woman · 13 min · Episode 37Rekha has known of discrimination all her life but she's tough. She's built an independent life and won the respect of her neighbors. When a cow stepped on her foot and caused a…
- 36. Putting on a brave face · 18 min · Episode 3616 year old Sujan looks like he's 8 years old. A few days out from heart surgery to fix a hole in his heart, Sujan receives bad news that a suspicious patch on his skin is…
- 35. Unexpected kindness · 18 min · Episode 35Growing up with an abusive alcoholic father, Janam had no choice but to start working when he was 9 years old. He had barely been outside his village. When he started to get…
- 34. When illness robs us of a place to belong · 20 min · Episode 34When Khagisara started to show signs of leprosy, the village she had grown up in, turned their backs on her. Forced to leave, Khagisara and her young family ended up living in…
- 33. The joy of being a fair trade artisan · 26 min · Episode 3346 year old Tina has know of illness and disability ever since she can remember. Finding a workplace where she felt she belonged was incredibly difficult. Learn how fair trade…
- 32. Shakti - Power in a name · 19 min · Episode 32Shakti has been in and out of hospital ever since she can remember. However, this hasn't stopped her from getting good grades and working hard towards her dreams of becoming a…
- 31. Satendra's story - Why me? · 21 min · Episode 31When 11 year old Satendra found light coloured patches on his skin, it kickstarted a long journey of treatment that disrupted every part of his life. Through it all, the question…
- 30. A child's perspective · 17 min · Episode 3012 year old Disha loves her home in the rolling green hills, full of colourful flowers in spring and hearing the birds chirp outside her bedroom window. But other people may see…
- 29. Homeless · 28 min · Episode 29Even before Amar knew what his diagnosis was, the symptoms had already isolated him from his family and friends, leaving him homeless and living under a bridge. When an…
- 28. Kamal's journey - curse or disease? · 18 min · Episode 28When small patches started to appear on his face, 8 year old Kamal was told he was cursed by a snake god. 4 months of animal sacrifices and rituals didn't take the curse away. By…
- 27. No money, no honey, thus innovation was born · 15 min · Episode 27Prem discovered a hidden talent when he attended bee keeping training. Buzzing with ideas and excitement from his training, Prem ventured into the jungle to catch his first wild…
- 26. The worst rejection of all · 16 min · Episode 26Mina was studying at university when she first started losing strength in her hands. It got so bad, Mina ended up in a wheelchair, with no strength left to walk. Having to go…
- 25. An unlikely superhero · 16 min · Episode 25For the last 35 years, Pratima has been working as a community health volunteer, educating her community on good health practices, delivering vaccinations and health checks. She…
