Legacies
Investing in the future
Legacies have been a vital support to NLT’s work at key moments in the past, and will continue to be so. Lalgadh Hospital was built mainly through past legacies, provided at the right time, and what an amazing investment they have been!
We would like to offer a fresh perspective on making a will, and encourage you to think about this if you have not yet done so.
Why write a will?
Leaving a legacy is a way of showing your love and concern for those close to you, by providing for them when you are gone. None of us likes to think about writing a will, but a properly drafted, legal will is the only way to make sure that your wishes are carried out after you die. Usually this means making sure that at least your spouse and other dependants will benefit from your estate.
A will also provides an opportunity to help others continue to address issues that you feel are important. These issues will be as varied as the individuals who make a will, but many people would like to leave a legacy that lasts long beyond their own lifetime. If you are a Christian, a will can be a means of continuing to bless lives and shed the light of God’s love in a very practical way after you have died. If you have a strong social conscience, this might include helping those whose lives are devastated by disease, poverty and injustice.
What happens if you don’t leave a will?
The lack of a will usually means that the law will dictate how your assets are allocated, and this might not reflect your own intentions or wishes. This can cause confusion and distress for loved ones, and might leave your estate vulnerable to high levels of taxation. The parts of an estate left to a charity are not taxable, and so can help to bring the value below the tax threshold, or at least significantly reduce the tax payable.
Nepal Leprosy Trust
If you are a long-time supporter of Nepal Leprosy Trust, you will be familiar with much of the work that we have done over the years to bring healing and restoration to people affected by leprosy. You will be aware of the many answers to prayer that have taken NLT on a journey from small beginnings in Kathmandu nearly 50 years ago, to the excellent and busy leprosy referral centre at Lalgadh. Lalgadh now sees more new leprosy cases than almost any other centre in the world and also provides a base for extensive community development work which is effectively changing attitudes about leprosy. This journey has been an adventure of faith, and of faithfulness on the part of many friends, supporters, and staff, both past and present. As we look to the future, against the current economic background, we know we will continue to depend on faithful giving.
People have asked, “What will NLT do when leprosy is eliminated in Nepal?” Firstly, there is still a long way to go before the elimination target is reached in all districts, and sadly, leprosy is on the increase again in Nepal and India. But when leprosy does slowly decline, our aim for the future is to develop more services for people with disabilities. We have gained a wealth of experience in this area, because many of our leprosy patients are greatly disabled through the disease and need many kinds of help. We already include people with wider disabilities in our existing community work, because any deformity or disability can carry stigma. Existing facilities for these people are very limited and NLT can support them in a positive way.
Leaving a legacy to NLT in your will is therefore a very practical and useful way of helping us to maintain and develop our services. It will also help whole communities to change their attitudes towards leprosy and disabled people in general. This is the only sustainable way to improve the quality of life for some of the poorest people in the world and so we cordially invite you to be a part of this by investing in their future.
Please do contact us if you would like further information.
Thank you for your kind consideration.
