NEW DELHI: The Hans Foundation, one of India’s largest charitable organisations, announced a new programme for the rehabilitation of acid attack survivors. This initiative will provide psychosocial counselling services, medical support, livelihoods, legal and educational support to acid attack survivors.
With the aim to re-establish these women/girls in the society as symbol of empowerment and enable them to live a dignified and discrimination free life, The Foundation announced a grant of Rs 5 crores for the first year. This will be reviewed on yearly basis.
The broader framework of the programme was unveiled at the launch of a study report on National Strategy for Inclusive and Community Based Living for Persons with Mental Health Issues by The Hans Foundation in the presence of G Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Government of India.
Speaking on this occasion, Shweta Rawat, Chairperson, The Hans Foundation said, "Announcing our new programme for acid attack survivors reaffirms our motto to transform lives across the country. Providing equal opportunities to all and enabling them to live life with dignity and respect is what we believe in. This programme is a natural progression towards it. We can’t deny the increasing number of acid attack cases we are facing as a nation. The girls/women need our support, to get back to their normal lives and start living again."
Commenting on the launch of the report and acid attack survivors initiative, Lt Gen SM Mehta, CEO, The Hans Foundation said, "The aim of the report is to enable exit pathways and reintegrate such people into community living options. The study aims to re-integrate such people both from state hospitals and NGO’s into community living options. This report is first of its kind done in India since Independence and we now want to take this study across the country and start the implementation from ground up."
Acid attack survivors undergo traumatic experience that devastates them and their family members socially, psychologically and even economically. With the launch of this novel initiative, The Hans Foundation plans to adopt these women and girls and extend well designed support for them to fight back.
"There would be intense engagement of various stakeholder who would influence and create opportunities for these victims. The individuals would also be linked to government schemes to avail all benefits. We welcome all other partners including NGOs, academia, private sector representatives to collaborate with us in this noble initiative," added Mehta.
About the Foundation
Established in 2009, The Hans Foundation has actively supported more than 350 NGOs in 26 states and union territories in the past ten years benefiting more than seven million poor in the country, changing the investment game in rural India.