From Loss to Livelihood: Sahiba Bano Reclaims Her Future
Sahiba Bano driving her auto-rickshaw in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh. Following the custodial death of her husband Ibrahim, Sahiba received legal and psychosocial support through PVCHR/JMN and support through the Survivor Alliance with IRCT. Today, she is rebuilding her family's future through her own livelihood.
This is what survivor-centred rehabilitation can look like: not only justice for the past, but agency for the future.
From Loss to Livelihood: Sahiba Bano Reclaims Her Future
A Survivor-Centred Story of Justice,
Psychosocial Recovery and Economic Empowerment
Supported through the Survivor
Alliance with the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims
(IRCT)
A journey that began with loss—and continues with courage
When Sahiba Bano lost her
husband, Ibrahim, following his death in judicial custody, her life changed
overnight.
A resident of Banaura village in
Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, Sahiba was suddenly left to care for her children
without the person who had been the family's principal source of livelihood.
Alongside profound grief, she faced economic insecurity and the difficult
pursuit of justice.
For Sahiba, the consequences of
custodial violence did not end with the death of her husband. They continued in
the form of trauma, uncertainty, loss of income and responsibility for her
family's future.
With support from PVCHR/Jan
Mitra Nyas and the Survivor Alliance supported by IRCT, Sahiba was
accompanied through her journey of seeking justice, rebuilding confidence and
restoring her capacity to support her family.
Today, she is driving an
auto-rickshaw herself and working to provide for her children.
Her story is therefore not only
about a death in custody.
It is about what happens when a survivor is supported to reclaim her agency.
From a custodial death to a family's struggle for justice
Ibrahim worked as a tempo/auto
driver and was the principal earning member of the household. Following his
detention, he died in judicial custody.
The circumstances surrounding his
death raised serious concerns, including injuries documented in the post-mortem
and inquest records. The case subsequently came before the National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC).
For Sahiba, seeking justice meant
confronting institutions while simultaneously trying to keep her family
together.
PVCHR/JMN stood with her and
provided legal and psychosocial support, helping her to articulate her
experience and continue pursuing the case. The organisation's documentation
records that Sahiba was given a platform to speak about her suffering and that
the family was supported through the human-rights process.
Justice mattered—but compensation alone was not enough
Following the proceedings before
the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Sahiba and her children
received compensation at the District Magistrate’s Office in Sonbhadra. The
family received a total compensation of ₹5,00,000 (approximately €4,575),
distributed among the five dependants of the deceased. For the family, this
compensation represented an important form of institutional recognition
following a prolonged struggle for justice. The NHRC’s broader practice also
recognises monetary relief to victims of human-rights violations or their next
of kin as an important form of redress.
However, financial compensation
could not undo the loss of Sahiba’s husband or address the wider social and
economic consequences of his death. For Sahiba, the question therefore extended
beyond the outcome of the legal process: how could she rebuild her family’s
life and secure a sustainable future for her children?
This is an important dimension of survivor-centred rehabilitation. In cases of custodial violence, justice cannot be understood solely in terms of legal proceedings or monetary compensation. Survivors and affected families may also require sustained psychosocial support, recognition of their dignity, social accompaniment, and opportunities to restore economic security and independence.
From Survival to Economic Agency
After losing her husband, Sahiba
made a courageous decision: she decided to drive an auto-rickshaw herself.
For Sahiba, this was more than a
livelihood decision. As a Muslim woman raising her children as a single
mother, taking up auto-rickshaw driving represented a significant step
towards economic independence and greater control over her family’s future. It
also challenged the social and economic vulnerabilities that can affect women
who are left to support their families alone after the loss of a spouse.
The transition was not easy.
Sahiba was coping with the emotional consequences of her husband’s death while
assuming responsibility for her children and securing an income. Through the Survivor
Alliance process, with support from the International Rehabilitation Council
for Torture Victims (IRCT) and PVCHR/JMN, her experience was accompanied
through a survivor-centred approach that connected psychosocial support,
dignity, social recognition and livelihood recovery.
This process has also helped
provide visibility to Sahiba as a survivor whose identity encompasses both
vulnerability and agency—including her experience as a Muslim woman and a
single mother navigating economic and social challenges. Her story demonstrates
the importance of making survivor voices visible within rehabilitation
processes while respecting their dignity, choices and self-determined
priorities.
With continued encouragement and
psychosocial support, Sahiba gradually rebuilt her confidence. Today, she
drives an auto-rickshaw and uses her earnings to support her family.
Her auto-rickshaw is therefore
more than a means of transportation or income. It has become a tangible
expression of agency, economic participation and renewed independence.
The steering wheel offers a
powerful image of this transformation: Sahiba is not defined only by the
violence and loss experienced by her family; she is actively shaping what comes
next for herself and her children.
From Rehabilitation to Agency
Sahiba’s transformation is
significant because it demonstrates that rehabilitation following custodial
violence cannot be understood solely as the treatment of trauma or the
resolution of a legal case. It also involves restoring agency, dignity,
confidence and the capacity to shape one’s own future.
Through the Survivor Alliance
process, supported by IRCT and implemented with PVCHR/JMN, Sahiba’s journey
has encompassed several interconnected dimensions of survivor-centred
rehabilitation:
- having her experience heard, documented and
recognised;
- pursuing justice through human-rights mechanisms;
- receiving psychosocial support and continued
accompaniment;
- receiving compensation following the human-rights
process;
- rebuilding confidence after profound loss;
- developing an independent livelihood by driving an
auto-rickshaw; and
- assuming greater economic responsibility for her
children and family.
Her own determination has
remained central to this transformation. The role of the Survivor Alliance and
PVCHR/JMN has been to accompany and support her journey, while respecting her
agency and choices.
The organisation’s account
describes her movement from profound uncertainty following her husband’s death
towards greater self-reliance, economic independence and a renewed sense of
purpose.
For a Muslim woman and single
mother, this journey also highlights the importance of inclusive
rehabilitation approaches that recognise the intersecting social, economic and
gender-related vulnerabilities that can shape a survivor’s recovery. At the
same time, Sahiba’s story should not be framed only through vulnerability. Her
decision to earn her livelihood by driving an auto-rickshaw demonstrates agency,
resilience and active participation in rebuilding her family’s future.
Ultimately, her experience illustrates a central principle of survivor-centred rehabilitation: support should not merely help survivors cope with what has happened to them; it should create conditions in which they can regain control over their lives and determine their own future.
Why This Matters
Sahiba’s experience illustrates a
central principle of survivor-centred rehabilitation: justice does not
end with recognition or financial compensation. For survivors of custodial
violence and their families, meaningful recovery may require sustained
psychosocial accompaniment, social recognition, livelihood support and
opportunities to regain agency and dignity.
Her journey can be understood as
a progression:
Loss
↓
Trauma and uncertainty
↓
Being heard and supported
↓
Pursuing justice through human-rights mechanisms
↓
Recognition and compensation
↓
Rebuilding confidence
↓
Livelihood and economic independence
↓
Agency, dignity and hope
The significance of the Survivor
Alliance–IRCT–PVCHR/JMN process lies in connecting these dimensions rather
than treating them as separate interventions. Sahiba’s experience shows how
psychosocial support and human-rights accompaniment can contribute to a
survivor’s ability to move beyond the immediate consequences of violence and
begin rebuilding everyday life.
Her decision to drive an
auto-rickshaw is particularly important in this context. It represents not only
an income-generating activity but also a practical expression of economic
agency and self-determination. As a Muslim woman and single mother
responsible for her children, her increased visibility and participation in
livelihood activities also underline the importance of inclusive approaches
that recognise the different social and economic circumstances survivors may
face.
Ultimately, Sahiba’s story
reminds us that the goal of rehabilitation is not simply to help survivors
endure the consequences of violence. It is to support conditions in which
survivors can recover their voice, exercise agency, restore dignity and
participate in shaping their own futures.
Recognising Courage and Leadership
In recognition of her courage, resilience, and determination to rebuild her family’s life, Sahiba Bano was honoured with the Jan Mitra Award by PVCHR/JMN. The recognition acknowledged not only her journey through injustice and loss, but also her determination to move forward with dignity and self-reliance. Today, as a single mother and an auto-rickshaw driver, Sahiba is working to support her children and shape a more secure future for her family. Her journey offers an important example of how survivor-centred rehabilitation can move beyond compensation towards economic agency, dignity, confidence, and leadership. She is not defined solely by the violence and loss she experienced; she has become an example of courage and determination for other women, particularly single mothers facing economic and social adversity.
The Role of IRCT and the Survivor Alliance
Through the Survivor Alliance,
with support from the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims
(IRCT) and PVCHR/JMN, Sahiba’s experience has been approached not simply as
a case requiring legal intervention, but as a survivor’s continuing journey
towards recovery and self-reliance.
This approach connects psychosocial
wellbeing, access to justice, social recognition and livelihood recovery.
Legal intervention can provide recognition; psychosocial support can help
restore confidence; and livelihood opportunities can strengthen economic
independence. Together, these elements can contribute to restoring survivor
agency.
A New Identity
Sahiba’s identity is no longer
defined solely by the loss of her husband. She is a mother, a worker and an auto-rickshaw
driver supporting her children through her own livelihood. The JMN account
documents her transition from profound uncertainty towards greater
self-reliance and renewed purpose.
Her journey continues, but her
position has changed: from receiving support to exercising agency and
shaping her family’s future.
A Message for Donors and Partners
Sahiba’s story demonstrates that
the impact of survivor-centred investment extends beyond case resolution or
compensation. Its longer-term value can be seen when survivors regain
confidence, establish livelihoods and participate actively in rebuilding their
families and communities.
Her auto-rickshaw is therefore more than a source of income.
It represents economic agency, dignity and the possibility of a
self-determined future.
From surviving to rebuilding.
From trauma to agency.
From being heard to taking the wheel.
Sahiba’s journey demonstrates that rehabilitation is ultimately about restoring the possibility of a future.
Documentation and media
Medium – “For a Few Rupees:
The Tragic Death of Ibrahim and the Global Fight Against Custodial Torture”
Testimonial Healing – Case
Story
https://testimonialhealing.blogspot.com/2025/02/for-few-rupees-tragic-death-of-ibrahim.html
Background account – Sahiba
Bano
https://testimonialhealing.blogspot.com/2025/01/for-few-rupees-my-husband-was-framed-in.html
Video – “Sahiba Bano: From
Injustice to Inspiration — Honored with Jan Mitra Samman by PVCHR”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IMRql5GFjM
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