Vanuatu
Tony Whitley (and his family) have taken care of the needs of leprosy patients in Vanuatu for the past 12 years. His initiative, drive and enthusiasm have enabled him to build a network of volunteers all over the country and this is the model on which we try to base our work in a number of other countries.
Vanuatu is a country consisting of a great many different islands (many of which have widely varying geography and cultures). Nearly every main island has current and former leprosy patients who need your help, and the job of co-ordinating that help is no easy task. In the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours List, Tony was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to education and the community in Vanuatu. |
Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, made a special visit to Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, to present Tony with his medal. She spent a long time talking with Tony about his life and work in Santo, Vanuatu and about the work of the Pacific Leprosy Foundation.