Mr Vagvathalli Narasappa

Mr Vagvathalli Narasappa got affected by Leprosy when he was nine. He was abandoned by his family and friends and asked to leave his village when deformity set in. Without family, he was left to fend for himself at Victoria Leprosy Home, Nizamabad, where he was treated for the disease, and could not complete his education.

When the deformity developed, his fingers had to be amputated. He had to spend some time begging on the streets with no work. It was the most humiliating experience of his life. He began working for other persons affected by leprosy at rehabilitation homes, earning meagre income for himself. His leadership skills enabled him out to fight the cause for people affected by leprosy in Andhra Pradesh. He mobilised the leprosy community and staged dharnas, and road rallies and conducted advocacy activities at government offices.

Mr Narsappa’s determination and hard work helped set up an organisation called Society for Leprosy Affected Persons (SLAP) in Andhra Pradesh in 2004 to fight for the cause. This motivated other such regional associations and groups to form. In 2012, he was elected as the President of the National Forum, an umbrella organisation for persons affected by Leprosy, now renamed as “Association of People Affected by Leprosy” (APAL) and led it for a decade before Ms Maya Ranavare took over. He has represented the organisation at many national and international fora.