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.