Suggested reading:
Partnerships: Formulation and Maintenance
(Power point presentation, 102Kb) PRAWA, Nigeria
http://tinyurl.com/qffxkcs
Regional seminar presentation on SACH, Pakistan
(Power point presentation, 9.1mb) SACH, Pakistan
http://tinyurl.com/oyev7v8
3.5.3
Building livelihoods, rebuilding lives
Livelihoods development support can be seen as a part of the rehabilitation process, as
well as being a recognised and integral component of development approaches. The NSA
project piloted livelihood initiatives in 11 partner centres with varying results, however
with two commonly shared expected outcomes:
(a)
(b)
To deliver practical skills or fiscal support that enables a survivor to earn an
income to support themselves and their families and;
Through engaging with survivors of torture in the context of livelihood
development activities, to facilitate psycho-social benefits (improved work
function through the strengthening of their productive skills) that directly
relate to their rehabilitation.
The livelihood activities of this project have mostly taken the form of direct training in a
specific craft or skill (tailoring, masonry, hairdressing) that enabled or improved the
livelihood of torture survivors and, as a result, their family.
As torture survivors have different skills, some activities will need to focus more on
entrepreneurship or small business management skills. Of fundamental importance is
that the training matches the needs of the torture survivors and that a needs
assessment is carried out. Some rehabilitation service providers work with specific target
groups, such as current or previous prison detainees or female torture survivors.
In many contexts livelihoods work may be best achieved by drawing on external
expertise and resources of other international organizations or government agencies.
Examples of links made by partners in this project included with the ministries of social
affairs, employment, labour, technical education skills development, justice and jail
management. These links will heighten sustainability and at the same time ensure that
the support to survivors is maintained by those with the clinical expertise to ensure the
psycho-social outcomes aimed for. Creating new linkages with experienced livelihood
organisations increases capacity in this field by bringing improvements to the
methodologies used in their socio-economic support activities.
The result of linkages formed with public authorities - as a result of these livelihood
initiatives - is that they are sensitized towards the importance of preventing torture,
providing support to the victims and creating change in practice and policy.
At the individual level, rehabilitation service providers have reported positive outcomes,
such as a decrease in depression levels of their clients. Many clients began to work from
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