Claire Marie Jeanne Vellut was a Belgian-born naturalised Indian leprologist, humanist and the founder of the Damien Foundation India Trust, a non profit non governmental organization engaged in providing treatment and rehabilitation services to people with leprosy and tuberculosis in India.
13 Facts About Claire Vellut
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Claire Vellut spent 55 years in India treating leprosy and tuberculosis patients, associating with the state and central governments or independently under the aegis of the trust she founded in 1955.
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Claire Vellut completed her schooling at Institut Saint-Andre, Ixelles and secured her graduate degree in medicine in 1952 from the Catholic University of Leuven during which period she was involved with the activities of the International Fraternal Association, an organization founded by Vincent Lebbe, a Lazarist priest.
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Claire Vellut did an advanced course, Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and did English language training in 1953.
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The system carried on for five years till the local government took over the operations with Claire Vellut continuing as its medical officer.
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Claire Vellut did a short training course in leprosy at the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine during this time.
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Claire Vellut continued with the activities of the trust for 55 years till 2009 and continued her association till her final departure from India in 2012.
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Claire Vellut was a member of the Damien Foundation in Belgium and in 1992, founded the Indian chapter of the organization under the name, Damien Foundation Trust India.
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Death of a few people close to her in 2008 influenced Claire Vellut to think about returning to Belgium and she spent most of the next three years travelling between Belgium, Mauritius and India.
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Claire Vellut left India for the final time in July 2012.
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Claire Vellut, who remained a spinster throughout her life, died on 20 September 2013, at the age of 87, at her room at the premises of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Brussels.
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Claire Vellut's mortal remains were buried at Banneux cemetery in Brussels.
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Claire Vellut was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown by the Royal Court of Belgium in 2009 and she received the Indira Gandhi Award from the International Leaders in Education Program in 2011.