Maria Zavala suffered second- and third-degree burns on her face and hands last November in an accident involving a gas stove.

For Zavala, a community organizer for the Chicano Development Center in Lansing, said she hopes discussing the accident will help strengthen women in the community when she speaks at Saturday’s Dia de la Mujer Conference.

“I am pretty scarred, and it’s very visible,” said Zavala, one of the conference’s founders. “I am talking about how that has affected my life and the community around me, how they came together in my time of need.”

But Zavala said the purpose of her speech is to discuss the outpouring of love she experienced from the community.

“The sense that there is power in the Chicano-Latino community was reinforced after my accident,” she said. “People came to the hospital and helped with child care and my finances. The purpose is to empower women and give them tools to use to improve their situation and help leaders. I hope every year they will come back for more.”

The conference is being offered to celebrate Latino culture and honor Chicano History Month.

The workshops include topics such as health and education.

“It gives Latinos around the Midwest a chance to get together and network and get together to learn and teach one another,” said Marcelina Treviño-Savala, coordinator for Chicano and Latino Student Affairs in the Office of Racial Ethnic Student Affairs.

Latin Explosion, a talent show featuring singing, dancing and poetry, will be held today at Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre.

Santos Gutierrez, a member of the planning committee for Latin Explosion, said he thinks the event will be as successful as last year’s turnout of 200 people.

“It’s always been a very successful event,” he said. “The purpose is for Latino students to express talent in music, poetry and dance, and to give a piece of their culture.”