A Fashion Brand With Social Purpose | Ethical Clothing Brand

Jenerous is a brand with purpose and social responsibility. We’re on a mission to change lives through fashion by creating clothing ethically and by giving back from every purchase. We’re committed to supporting communities in India and you can read more about our social impact so far here.

Jenerous X The Leprosy Mission

Did you know that every two minutes, someone is diagnosed with leprosy. That's more than 200,000 new cases a year. Although it is curable, millions of people worldwide are living with the effects of the disease, from physical disability to mental health problems, poverty and discrimination.

How is Jenerous Helping People Affected by Leprosy?

We are excited to have partnered with The Leprosy Mission, a charity that is transforming the lives of those affected by leprosy around the world. We’re donating from our sales to support their vocational training program based in West Bengal, India. Your purchases enable young people affected by leprosy to attend a 12 month tailoring training course, which includes accommodation, meals, uniforms, exam fees and help getting a job at the end of the training.

In 2022, there were 690 students trained at The Leprosy Mission’s Vocational Training Centres, and of those 98% went onto employment.

How You Can Make a Difference?

For every £25 spent with Jenerous we will donate 1 week of training, accommodation and food for a young person affected by leprosy. To date we have donated 700 weeks of tailoring training at a vocational training centre in West Bengal. This means that 13 young people have been fully trained in tailoring. Included in the training program are meals, accommodation, uniforms, exam fees and help finding work after the course is complete.

How Lives are Being Changed - Vinothini’s Story

“Vinothini, 20, is affected by leprosy and studied at one of TLM's Vocational Training Centres. She studied tailoring and graduated with among the highest marks in the country. The TLM placement program got her an interview with a prestigious garment company in Chennai, where she now works. Her supervisor is very impressed with her work. She is able to send money home to her mother and save most of her income. She dreams of becoming a fashion designer and creating her own brand and label. After a few more years experience, she plans to use some of her savings to take a further course in fashion design and plans to start her own boutique. She wants to support and champion other young people affected by leprosy too.”

Find out more about how your purchase can make a difference in the short video on our Community Impact page.

Leprosy Still Exists in India

We asked The Leprosy Mission for some insights into how leprosy is affecting people in India and how their vocational training helps young people affected by leprosy achieve their true potential.

Bankura Vocational Training Centre, West Bengal, India

Helping young people affected by leprosy and disability to secure employment through education and skills training

Young people affected by leprosy in India face extreme stigma and discrimination. Many struggle to find jobs because of the lack of training opportunities. Even if they do have skills, they are often overlooked by employers and not given the chance to prove themselves.

With your help, young people can gain the skills they need to find work with understanding employers, or even start their own businesses. This lifeline is found at Bankura Vocational Training Centre in West Bengal.

Regional Background

Today in India, 275 million - around 1 in every 5 people - live below the international poverty line. Most people live hand-to-mouth, working as daily field labourers. Disease is rife because of poor infrastructure and health care.

Leprosy is a disease of poverty so it’s no surprise that it is common in this region. If life is a struggle for the general population, you can imagine how hard it is for someone with leprosy. Held back by stigma and marginalised through discrimination, people with leprosy are almost invisible. Living in the worst conditions and with few opportunities, begging is usually the only way to survive.

The Impact of Leprosy

Leprosy is caused by a bacterium and is easily cured with three antibiotics. But fast diagnosis and treatment are essential. If untreated, the disease causes loss of feeling in hands and feet. This makes everyday activities fraught with danger. Imagine what happens when you can’t feel pain. It’s so easy to burn your hands when cooking or cut the soles of your feet when walking on stones.

If you don’t know how to care for these injuries, or ignore them because they don’t hurt, they can ulcerate. Ulcers may then develop into much more serious wounds with life-changing implications.

In the worst case, you may lose fingers or toes, or even a limb. Without treatment, leprosy paralyses the nerves in your hands and feet. Fingers begin to ‘claw’, so you can’t grip a tool or hold your child’s hand. With hands that don’t work, it’s hard to look after yourself or dependent family members, and virtually impossible to work.

The stigma and discrimination surrounding leprosy is far-reaching. Even if a young person does not have the disease, if a family member is affected by leprosy, the young person is shunned. It is very difficult to get an education, and many employers will refuse to give them a job.

For many young people affected by leprosy, their future is nothing but grim bleakness. Even if they are able to work and can get past the stigma of leprosy, they don’t have skills required for anything more than basic manual labour. Any dreams or hopes they’ve had for a better future are left in shreds. It isn’t long before they lose all sense of self-worth. Their reality is one of hopelessness, tied to the vicious grind of poverty.

Bankura Vocational Training Centre Offers a Solution

The Leprosy Mission works in close partnership with Bankura Vocational Training Centre (VTC). We offer hands-on practical training for young people, providing the skills that are attractive to public and private sector employers. We build the young adults’ leadership, livelihood entrepreneurial, financial and life skills. This gives self-confidence and the ability to be independent.

What makes students from Vocational Training Centres so successful is that the centres also work directly with employers to find secure jobs for graduates.

Tailoring student at vocational training centre in India — Students can learn tailoring at the Vocational Training Centre

With your help, we can give young people affected by leprosy a future. A future that was unfairly snatched from them. A future where they can earn a sustainable living rather than beg for one.

At Bankura VTCs, young people can learn a trade. They can master skills to become diesel mechanics, welders, computer technicians and tailors. Students are also taught ancillary skills including English, IT and gender equality, and can attend entrepreneurship workshops.

This is particularly important for young women, who for reasons of culture and tradition, are less likely to have completed education and less likely to have access to employment. Bankura VTC has a minimum 40% female intake.

Clothing That Changes Lives and Fights Poverty

Our aim at Jenerous is to use fashion as a force for good. We create clothing that’s made ethically and has the potential to change people’s lives. Together we can give young people like Vinothini an opportunity to succeed and fulfil their dreams.

Find out more about how Vocational Training Centres offer a pathway out of poverty here.

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Disclaimer: All photos and information about leprosy and the Bankura Vocational Training Centre are provided by The Leprosy Mission.