Economic and Social Empowerment of women burn survivors in Karnataka

Burn survivors undergo tremendous trauma in life owing to the excruciating pain, mangled physical appearance, lack of livelihood opportunities, economic deprivation, discrimination in families and society, social exclusion etc. Studying and analysing various factors, there is an important need to empower the women with job skills, livelihood and economic security which would improve their status in families as well as enable them to enjoy a favourable family environment and to enjoy their rights. This project envisages mobilising them to form small social groups with opportunities for deriving psychological and peer support for one another, enhancing their vocational skills and enter into economic activities to play useful role in families and community, engaging in life changing activities through personality development programmes, facing life’s challenges with courage and better outlook etc. The project also promotes opportunities for meaningful interaction with the outside world and social inclusion.

The chief beneficiaries of this project are women burn survivors who have faced acute domestic violence and victims of gender-based discrimination within their own families and society. Due to burns, they live with physical deformities and disabilities of varied nature as well as trauma and psychological scar beyond one’s imagination. They belong to very poor families living in unhygienic conditions in communities around Bangalore city. This project creates and sustains opportunities for the economic and social empowerment of women burn survivors. It envisages mobilising them to form small social groups with opportunities for deriving psychological and peer support for one another, enhancing their vocational skills and entering into economic activities to empower these women with job skills, livelihood and economic security which would improve their family’s economic status and find them a respectable place in the community.

This would be done by providing one year of training in job skills and entrepreneurship skills involving instructors in relevant expertise for vocations like tailoring, making craft articles, vending vegetables and running fruits and petty shops. Financial support will be provided in a revolving manner to the small self-help groups to initiate income generation activities. Assistance will be provided in a revolving manner by giving seed money to start their own income generation units. Eventually, the women become empowered to continue the work by themselves.

Provide support to 1300 women burn survivors through:

• Counselling during acute treatment.
• Provide assistance in medical treatment. 
• Impart skill training on vocations like tailoring, beautician and also communication skills.
• Physio assistance by the therapist.

By the end of the intervention period, all the women will have enhanced earnings to supplement family income.30 self-help groups will have formed who will have been given skill training and seed funds to start their own units.

These empowered women become the strength to other women burn survivors and support them through the self-help group. The group not only financially helps the women, but also in ensuring better mental health and training to withstand the atrocities they have to face.