For most people, it would be hard to imagine anything worse than suffering from servere burns. Burn victims are often embarassed by their own appearance. They are often rejected by members of their own family. They are often in severe pain from the lesions that cover their bodies. For these reasons, most of them spend their lives isolated from society. Shirin Juwaley, a participant in Landmar Education’s Self-Expression and Leadership Programme, resoved to make a difference in this community of people. In her programme, he and fellow activist Lalit Jham created a special day out for burn victims. Working in conjunction with Sion Hospital, they organised the trip for 30 burn patients to a resort in Virar.

Julwaley, who is herself a burn victim, is passionate that burn victims get such opportunities for enjoyment, and that Indian culture becomes more accepting: “There is such ignorance and insensitivity towards burns victims in India. People are scared of us, they are repulsed, they think it is a contagious disease. This harms victims’ self image to the extent that they don’t feel comfortable stepping outside.”

The 30 participants in the resort trip, many of them women who had attempted suicide by dousing themselves in kerosene and setting themselves on fire, received an incredible opportunity to enjoy life away from those who would stare or question them. They left behind any shame or guilt and enjoyed themselves without apology. They spent a lot of time in the resort pool with music playing, crying out with joy at the simple act of playing in the water–Something many of them had not done in many years.

Each of the woman had an extraordinary and moving story to tell. There was Poornima, who set herself on fire after her alcoholic husband threw away there baby. There was Malan, whose stove exploded in her face and whose daughter was so horrified at her appearance after the accident that she won’t look at her. There is Shaguna, whose mother-in-law set her on fire after she was found to be infertile.

“I pray that every human should be given a day like this. Today has shown me that if you have a life, it is worth living,” said Poornima.

One woman, Chanda, said that “I have never been out on a picnic; this is my first time and I will always remember this day.”

Another shared that “After being burnt, this was the first time I have had such an opportunity and I am so grateful to have this special day.”

The Sion hospital, which helped to arrange the trip, also offers a support group that provdes both emotional and financial aid to its burn patients.

Sion’s community development officer Tara Verma describes the programme: “We rehabilitate victims by giving them jobs at the hospital, financial help and by counselling them and their families. This trip will help build confidence and begin to remove fears about acceptance by society.”