Oz man running across India for leprosy awareness reaches Noida
Om Satija, who lives in Melbourne, started off his marathon run on January 26 from Kanyakumari, told HT, "I was inspired by people who have done cross-country runs. I wanted to do a run across India and use it as a medium to create awareness."
He said he felt drawn towards people afflicted by leprosy during a visit to Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, in winters when he was 10. "While distributing blankets among the poor with my family, I saw people with disabilities and amputations suffering from leprosy. It was unlike anything I had seen before," said Satija.
Later, he came across the Udayaan Foundation, an NGO in Kolkata, West Bengal, that works with leprosy-affected kids. Stating that he feared resistance to his campaign, since people fear what they don't know, he said, "Half the battle is about making people aware about leprosy."
Satija said he reached the Greater Noida region from Agra on Wednesday night and had three checkpoints across Noida before heading towards India Gate.
To mark the milestone in Noida's Sector 15A, Satija was joined by four students from Shiv Nadar University's run club, Aniket Tadipalli, Darshin Mevcha, Pranav S, and Anirudh, who ran 30 km with him from Noida to the India Gate in Delhi on Thursday.
"Leprosy is a curable disease, but remains highly stigmatised. Many affected individuals are isolated and denied access to public facilities," said Adrija Mitra, assistant director at the Udayaan Foundation.
Mitra said the disease, caused by bacteria, often begins with white patches on the skin and can take years to develop. "Around 52% of global cases are reported in India, and those from economically weaker backgrounds are most vulnerable," she added.
The campaign has set a fundraising target of ₹60 lakh to support the education of around 1,000 children over the next five years, said organisers, adding that so far, about ₹17 lakh has been raised through donations.
Satija is accompanied by his younger brother and two friends for logistics, and a retired JCO of Indian Army hired as Run Manager. On an average, he covers 50 kilometres a day and is aims to reach Srinagar in May.
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