Purple Bench Initiative

That person’s name is Susan. Susan is very bright and dreams of becoming a doctor someday. However, her epilepsy has created multiple physical and economic hurdles. She recently fell onto an open flame while cooking due to a seizure. In addition, she had to breathe dangerous smoke while cooking, and collecting water required a three-kilometer walk.

Purple Bench improved Susan’s situation through inexpensive but critically important changes to her surroundings. These included a rainwater holding tank, vegetable gardens, a small shelter around the latrine for privacy, a clay cookstove that protects from open flames, and a window in Susan’s room so that she can enjoy sunlight and fresh air.

Purple Bench enlisted community members to do the work and used the activities to teach the community that Susan is highly valued and that epilepsy is neither contagious nor a result of evil spirits. Nina also used this time to mentor Susan. Money from the Amanda Award allowed Purple Bench to impact Susan and her community and to create a model for future programs to help families affected by epilepsy.