UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture - Social Assistance |
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Social assistance complements the two above-mentioned types by enabling victims, through various approaches, to end the marginalized state in which many find themselves. Social assistance ensures victims a minimum of facilities allowing them to survive in a society with which they sometimes no longer have a connection. Such assistance can consist, inter alia, of professional training designed to give victims a specialty of their choice (computer science, sewing, secretarial work, mechanics and others), subsequently giving them the opportunity to find employment again. Sometimes, a specific category of victims is targeted, for example women tortured in a prison setting, and their needs are identified through a participatory process. Micro-projects are then developed with the help of social workers, to enable such women, once they are released from prison, to engage in activities that meet previously identified needs. Such micro-projects include, for example, short-term training courses or the establishment of an income-generating project. Such assistance has also been shown to play an essential therapeutic role, enabling victims to regain confidence in their abilities and recover their human dignity.