Changes

|[[File:Belfort Village 002004.jpg|196px]]

|align="right"|[[File:Belfort Village 004002.jpg|196px]]|-|colspan="3" | [[File:Belfort Village 008.jpg|600px]]|} As in many other places in the world, leprosy is a feared disease. Also in Madagascar, people suffering from leprosy are often forced to leave their village community. Even after successful treatment, former lepers are not always welcome back in their village. In 1988, Marie-Hélène KAM HYO Zschocke founded the non-governmental organisation [http://www.calamada.org CALA] to help former leprosy patients socially and professionally reintegrate. {| class="imageTable"

|align="right"|[[File:Belfort Village 007008.jpg|196px]]

As in many other places in the world, leprosy is a feared disease. Also in Madagascar, people suffering from leprosy are often forced to leave their village community. Even after successful treatment, former lepers are not always welcome back in their village. In 1988, Marie-Hélène KAM HYO Zschocke founded the non-governmental organisation [http://www.calamada.org CALA] to help former leprosy patients socially and professionally reintegrate. Today there are over 100 people living in Belfort Village, half of whom are children. Belfort Village is named in memory of a deceased patient. On the grounds of the village is the primary kindergarten Ezaka (meaning "A serious effort") with a canteen and various workshops were villagers can learn profitable activities such as weaving baskets, mats and hats, making jewellery from nuts and seeds, farming or working in the nearby Macolline planting nursery. CALA does not only support the villagers financially or technically, CALA also donates drugs, food and clothes when needed.