Their skin, eyes, limbs and nerves may be permanently damaged but they have learnt self-sufficiency, say officials at MESH (Maximising Employment to Serve the Handicapped), an NGO.

“We help people with leprosy to become self-sufficient by providing them with a sustainable skill and then assist them to market that skill,” says Hrishikesh, a designer with MESH.

“People suffering with leprosy deserve a chance to achieve social and economic integration through trading,” says Jacqueline Bonney, who has been with Mesh for over 25 years.

Set up in the 1960s by a group of women from North America in a village in Haryana, MESH has since expanded the scope of its service to autonomous leprosy colonies all over the country, NGO officials said.

“We market the products made by the various colonies in international markets. One of our largest buyers is a Swedish firm, which, incidentally, is also our biggest benefactor,” says Bonney.

Nearly 85 per cent of products marketed by MESH were exported to European markets last year, NGO officials said.

The weavers at the ashram, however, have been restive over the period as they haven’t had a major order for sometime now. The solution, NGO officials say, is to enhance the artisan’s skills.

“We have to ensure that once they have acquired the skills, they have enough buyers interested in their products,” says Bonney.

And now, MESH has set up a design studio, where the inmates can enhance their skills, at Mohammadpur. “We will use this space to design new products, prototypes of which are sent out to the artisans to create. As per the requirement, they can also be bought here to get additional training,” says Hrishikesh.

Often, the need also arises to channel ideas from international buyers to the artisans, and MESH hopes that with access to space, they will now be able to do that better.