Dear friends,
On the occasion of the World Vitiligo Day 2022, I on behalf of Vitiligo society Manipur wish all the unfortunate vitiligo suffers, a healthy mind and health. We are all aware that the first World vitiligo day was observed for the first time in 2011, by a dedicated social movement group in Nairobi. The day was chosen to be the birthday of the famous African-born American pop singer Michael Jackson, who happened to be a vitiligo sufferer. The basic ideology of the observation is to develop dedicated social support groups for the spread of mass awareness of the non-harmful conditions of the vitiligo and to fight the discrimination against vitiligo sufferers all over the globe. It is a purely non-profit organization. Soon, the movement spread all over the world.
We too have been observing the Day. We developed a dedicated group for Manipur named “Vitiligo society Manipur” in 2019 and launched an exclusive website for mass public education about the disease along with an observation function. Unfortunately, last two years due to the Covid pandemic, apart from launching more information on our website, physical meetings could not be conducted.
As the Covid wave happened to decline to a comfortable status, now we took the courage for observing the Day physically this year. Our vitiligo sufferers are invited to join the observation when experts in various fields will be delivering lectures on the subject. We will actively encourage floor participation and the exchange of ideas and experiences. Invitation notice is available on the notice board. You are welcome.
Regards,
Dr. Karam Lokendro
DISCLAIMER
The basic theme of the society, Logo and this website are conceived by Dr. Karam Lokendro, with the primary aim of educating the unfortunate Vitiligo patients primarily and the general public in general about the knowledge of the disease. Though Vitiligo is a non-contagious / non communicable disease without any harm to the human systems and livelihood (mostly), there is a huge Psycho social issue associated with the disease, due to the disfiguring of the body with patchy loss of pigments (white patches) and loss of normal complexion. It, tremendously affects the quality of life of the sufferers in the society. Unfortunately in a society like ours, where the population is mostly darker groups; the suffering is more prominent and conspicuous. Fortunately Vitiligo normally does not cause any body harm and pain.
The web pages are designed and supported by Dr. Chingkhei Lakpa Sapam and assisted by Dr. Preeti Vaidya and hopefully in future, will take the herculean task of maintaining the website with time to time interventions. We will be taking various supports from various Dermatologist and other educationist and like-minded people in filling up the various gaps in knowledge support of the disease.
The Services rendered are purely, charitable, free, as a social support system for the Vitiligo sufferers. The authors and administrators never claim to be the authority in the science of Vitiligo and best knowledgeable group, but our best sincere efforts are made to deliver the best available information to the public in the most easy languages and terms. The languages use will be mostly English and Manipuri (printed both in Roman scripts and Meitei Mayek/scripts). Best efforts will be done to introduce some information in major tribal dialects of our state. However Romanisation of the Manipuri language and getting printed by the administrators ie. Ourselves are a difficult job. There may be many errors in spellings, in the form of “ei, ie, aa, ea, oa,etc”, which may be excused by the readers, considering our ignorance. But we tried our best efforts not to cause any misinterpretation(s) in expressing the opinions and information.
Best effort will be made to make the site a two way system, where the patients (mostly) and public can contribute information in the form of their experiences, encounters, knowledge, and queries.
Yours, particularly the Vitiligo sufferer`s participation will be most rewarding in making the efforts a grand success and continuing.
May God bless.
Objectives of “Vitiligo Society, Manipur”
COLOURS REDEFINED WITH DIGNITY
- Make the public aware of the nature of Vitiligo.
- Emphasise on the non-communicable/non contagious nature of Vitiligo.
- Educate the public of the harmless (mostly) nature of the disease, being mostly cosmetical, not to be socially non acceptable issue.
- Find ways and means against the discrimination of the Vitiligo sufferers by the society.
- Update the Vitiligo patients of the latest information of the disease and available resources.
- Develop peer groups among the Vitiligo sufferers in order to produce a self-social support system in the management of the disease and against discriminations.
- Arrange meetings at regular intervals for the Vitiligo patients, doctors and willing to help social workers, in order to uplift the knowledge, information and social support system to counter the psychological and social implications of the disease.
- To develop a dedicated website “vitiligosocietymanipur.com”, to be made available to the public as a charitable, benevolent service. All possible information to be made available about the disease in easy languages, mostly in Manipuri and local dialects and English. System(s) is to be developed, so as the patients can contribute their experiences and information, if suitable for public knowledge. Queries about the disease will be answered at the best possible time.
- Membership of the society to be enrolled among the willing patients, doctors, educationist and helping hands free of cost. They are necessarily to be adults with sound mind, no criminal records and genuine citizens of Manipur.
- Strict privacy of the Vitiligo suffers to be maintained, if he/she (for minors, parents/guardians) is not willing to reveal their disease conditions to the public.
- Will work with dedication on the merit of the theme of the society “Colours redefined with dignity”.
WE PLEDGE
- I will avoid any kind of discrimination of vitiligo affected individuals.
- I will avoid teasing schoolmates, colleagues having vitiligo.
- I will encourage vitiligo affected individuals for taking proper treatment and joining self-help peer groups of vitiligo.
- I will do my best to eliminate the myths against vitiligo in the society, by spreading the harmless nature of the disease to my relatives, friends and public wherever situation arises.
EIKHOINA WASHAKLI
- Eihakna, kanagumba Vitiligo na naraba miyoisingbu, tathitaoina natraga hanthaba mityengna yengloi.
- Eihakna, eihaki, school-college singi emanabasing natraga marup mapang vitiligo narabasing bu laknaba na chingba touroi.
- Eihakna, Vitiligo na naraba miyoi singbu, maphamchana, niyomchumna layenthoknaba haigani amasung, makhoi masel punshanaduna amaga amaga mateng pangnabagi thouram paikhatnaba haigani.
- Eihakna, Vitiligo na maram oiraga, samajsida lana thajanaribasi muthatnaba hotnagani amasung, Vitiligosi samna soknabada kaide amadi lounade haibasi, marimatasingda amasung marupmapangsingda haigani.