ENAPAL Vision

ENAPAL’s vision is to see a stigma-free society, where isolation and discrimination are eliminated and persons affected by leprosy and their family members are independent, fully integrated into society, live in dignity, are free from rampant poverty, and are participating in the economic social and political life of Ethiopia.

Leprosy In Ethiopia

Thousands of Ethiopian people are suffering from the stigma of leprosy with devastating socio-economic results. Even now, some 5,000 people per year are diagnosed with leprosy and, of this number, around 14% are already disabled at diagnosis. These people are usually the poorest of the poor, and they are socially excluded - because of a disease. Especially among the disabled, begging is the best paying and least physically damaging job for people disabled by leprosy

ENAPAL's Role

The subsequent lack of dignity, isolation from family and friends, and position of abject poverty is what ENAPAL wants to change. With such attitudes being carried over into the country’s law, for example, the old Ethiopian civil code includes leprosy as a legal reason for divorce; the membership of ENAPAL now feels they have a legitimate advocacy process, which can make a difference in their lives, and in the lives of their children.

Essentially ENAPAL is a rights based organization, which is advocating for the rights of people who are socially excluded in the extreme. To this end, it has organized Ethiopians Affected by leprosy in 7 regions and 63 branch associations that cover about 80% of the country. Since its inception as an indigenous organization ENPAL has gained support and increased its membership into other regions. In 1996 it was registered and certified by the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Justice as an indigenous NGO. ENAPAL is now the founding and active member of The Ethiopian Federation of Persons with Disabilities (EFPD).ENAPAL was the vice president of EFPD for 4 years since 1996 and now the treasurer in the executive committee of EFPD.

Strategic Plan

The development of this strategic plan has been one of the significant progresses of ENAELP that demonstrates the vigorous steps taken in the past eight years since its establishment.

The growth of the association and its increased partnership has necessitated a strategic move; and a number of recent opportunities and threats that arise from the successes and challenges of the experience contributed in identifying the future role of ENAELP as an association of persons affected by leprosy.[Download full Strategic Plan]