The walls of Sheros cafe depict women's empowerment.
Lucknow:
A group of women, all survivors of acid attacks, have opened a cafe right next to the Taj Mahal. Sheroes, the brainchild of NGO Chaanv, is their ticket to dignity and independence.
For Muzaffarnagar's Rupa, it means a new beginning.
In 2007, when Rupa was in Class 6, her step-mother had thrown acid on her. The scars still remain, but Rupa has gained enough confidence to stop covering up her face.
It was she who had contacted the NGO - initially for help with treatment - but they taught her designing, so she could stand on her own feet.
"I have learnt to come out. I used to hide my face earlier but now I don't cover it anymore," she said.
Then Sheros happened. And it is not just a cafe. There's a boutique - the clothes are designed by Rupa - and a small library, since they feel attacks on women can stop only when education and awareness is spread.
The walls are brightly painted depicting women's empowerment - a constant reminder to never give up. The food on offer will be cooked and served by the girls themselves.
Explaining the concept, Aseem Trivedi, a Delhi-based cartoonist who works with Chaanv said, "We used to raise money for them but realised that it was more important to make them self-dependent".
There is no accurate number of acid attack survivors in the country, but last year, Lucknow reported 56 such attacks within 3 months. So though this café is the first of its kind in the country, Chaanv is hoping to replicate the idea in other metros, including Delhi.
For Muzaffarnagar's Rupa, it means a new beginning.
In 2007, when Rupa was in Class 6, her step-mother had thrown acid on her. The scars still remain, but Rupa has gained enough confidence to stop covering up her face.
It was she who had contacted the NGO - initially for help with treatment - but they taught her designing, so she could stand on her own feet.
"I have learnt to come out. I used to hide my face earlier but now I don't cover it anymore," she said.
Then Sheros happened. And it is not just a cafe. There's a boutique - the clothes are designed by Rupa - and a small library, since they feel attacks on women can stop only when education and awareness is spread.
The walls are brightly painted depicting women's empowerment - a constant reminder to never give up. The food on offer will be cooked and served by the girls themselves.
Explaining the concept, Aseem Trivedi, a Delhi-based cartoonist who works with Chaanv said, "We used to raise money for them but realised that it was more important to make them self-dependent".
There is no accurate number of acid attack survivors in the country, but last year, Lucknow reported 56 such attacks within 3 months. So though this café is the first of its kind in the country, Chaanv is hoping to replicate the idea in other metros, including Delhi.
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