6. SELF-EMPOWERMENT
The holy text of Bhagwat Gita emphasizes the importance of self as“Man is made by his beliefs. As he believes, so he
is.” 21 Thus, empowerment of the self is
very important which involves educating the individual about his own
health condition so that he is able to confidently make his own
decisions and undertake self- care. The government took many initiatives
for the self-empowerment of SCD patients such special guidelines in
education system, social securityetc .22 . Person with SCD frequently
experience episodes of extreme pain that necessitates hospitalization
and restricts their everyday activities. The pain is often throbbing,
lasts for hours to a week or longer, and tends to move over the body
hence person (SCD patient) comes under the purview of physically
disability as they are not able to work as much as they are required. In
this scenario, skill development initiatives increase productivity and
reduce mental stress leading to improved living standard of SCD
patients. If these patients are trained in any skill then they can work
from home and initiate small-scale businesses for their livelihood.
Since students with SCD tend to have low self-esteem, building their
skills is crucial for their overall development because it has a direct
impact on how they perceive about themselves. In due course of time,
they learn to balance their emotional and social lives with their
physical health, which is crucial for becoming independent.