Since 2014, the St. Lazarus-Fonds has provided extensive and diverse aid to people affected by leprosy in Shan State in Myanmar. Particularly in the leprosy colony Loilem, with 700 residents, the St. Lazarus-Fonds has implemented profound and sustainable aid projects in partnership with the Archdiocese Taunggyi. Among others, these projects comprise:

• An agricultural project to improve the income generation of the colony, including animal husbandry as well as cultivation of avocado, mango and dragon fruit

• The construction of four wells and a water supply system for the five villages of the colony

• The construction of new, accessible bathrooms in the main village of the colony, where leprous patients live

• Support for the colony’s clinic through medical material

• The creation of living and learning spaces for the schoolchildren of the colony

• Support for students through stipends, tuition and learning material

Furthermore, the St. Lazarus-Fonds provides support for a home for HIV-positive children in the city of Taunggyi and the leprosy-affected village Nyaung Pin Thar, near Lake Inle.

The military coup in Myanmar in 2021 has dramatically exacerbated the security situation in the country and has substantially affected the work of the St. Lazarus-Fonds in the country. At the same time, the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar increasingly threatens the particularly vulnerable people affected by leprosy.
Although it is currently not possible to visit the country, the St. Lazarus-Fonds continues to support leprosy-affected communities through its local partners, with whom a trustful collaboration has evolved.