Hey! I’m Amelia and I’m running the London Marathon, 2026. I want to take this opportunity to highlight Karuna, a charity I have grown up hearing so much about. (The money will be allocated to Karuna, through The Leprosy Mission)

Here’s some more information about what they do…

Living in the slums of Mumbai, access to healthcare is minimal. People are desperately poor and excluded from society. For those with leprosy, stigma and discrimination make life even worse. With access to healthcare unaffordable, too hard to travel to, or sometimes refused, many have no way of receiving treatment and develop severe, disabling medical problems as a result.

The Leprosy Mission Trust India’s mobile clinic is therefore a lifeline – visiting the slum areas on a weekly basis, it provides not only medical care, but an opportunity for people to speak with the medical professionals and receive pastoral care. This is particularly important for people affected by leprosy, who too often experience discrimination in day to day life; being treated as individuals in their own right is crucial.

This helps people affected by leprosy to appreciate themselves enough to learn the art of ‘self-care’; looking after any injuries and ensuring ulcers are treated before amputation is necessary. The counselling service provided is a vital part of recovery. Without the motivation for self-care, physical conditions deteriorate, and health will decline.

Their work obviously comes at a cost! Here are some figures…

£24 to cure a person of leprosy (£48 to cure 2, £96 to cure 4 etc). £177 to run Karuna mobile clinic for a week, £708 for a month.