BLIND, elderly leprosy patient Chindabai, wished to visit a holy shrine at Jam Savali on the outskirts of the city. Of course it was our pleasure, along with UK guests: John and Carol Oulton, to take her there.
Throughout her life Chindabai has encountered sadness; her only child died as an infant in a tragic accident. Later she caught leprosy and was abandoned by her husband and family. Then her brother tried to take the only home she possessed; which was a shack built on an 8ft x 10ft patch of land in the slums. When she refused to give him the land, he attacked and blinded her.
We discovered Chindabai 15 yrs ago, living in appalling circumstances with her only companion - her dog Kalu. Imagine being blind and not able to rely on the sense of touch because of nerve damage caused through leprosy? Imagine also being abandoned by love one's when you need them most? Chindabai is one of the many remarkable women we encounter, who against so many odds, survived.
