Rita Paul

It was the year 1998. Rita, a young woman of 22 years, was married off to Gopal Paul. She lived at her in-laws for two years, until the September of 2000. She was only 24 years old when she had become the survivor of a deadly acid attack.

Time flew and Rita had a good life for the next two years that she got married. One fine day she caught her mother-in-law having an illicit affair with another man. She did what she felt right. She revealed it to the family members, and bore the brunt of it. Little did she know that she’d be silenced forever for coming out with the truth. To keep her quite, on the fateful day, her husband and her mother-in-law forcefully made her gulp down one litre of acid. Her insides were burned, including her vocal cord. But she was a fighter. She did raise her voice against such a heinous crime. Although she could not speak she gave in writing what she had endured along with the names of the perpetrators—her husband and her mother-in-law.

Today, she lives with her widowed mother and is struggling to make ends meet. Even in such serious economical conditions she underwent treatment at the AIIMS, Delhi, with the help of a few kind hearted people and organizations. However, she can still hardly speak.

Rita needs your love and support to get back to the life she lost. To care please click here

Moyna Pramanik

A bubbling young girl of13 years old from Lalgarh, Murshidabadwas married off to PabitraPramanik in the year 1998. The parents had no other option but to give their daughter away because of the socio-economic condition. The most important factor in this nuptial lock was that it was a “no-dowry wedding”, as it was the groom who was getting married for the second time.  At the time of her marriage, she was a class eight student.

Things were good, until she gave birth to a baby girl in the year 2000. The daughter in the family was like a burden and Moyna’s in-law relatives started demanding large amount of money from Moyna’s maternal house.

On denial of the amount, her ordeal became unbearable and finally on 24^th of August, 2001, her husband with the help of her mother-in-law and brother-in-law poured acid onher. They did not stop there; they doused her in kerosene and set her face on fire.

But she was a winner. She fought all the odds afterward. Many channels and NGOs showcased her plight and that way she got the financial support to go on with her medical treatment. She filed complaints and was able to get her husband and mother in law detained.

Today, she lives with her parents and most importantly she is now an independent woman who not only earns her own livelihood but also supports her family. She pursued with her education and passed Higher Secondary examination. She is now employed in an open school where she cooks mid-day meal for the students.

Moyna needs your love and support to get back to the life she lost. To care please click here

Reshma Khatun

After losing her father at an early age, Reshma, a young girl became the only support of her family. She was the only earningmember in the family at that point of time. She chose a profession of singing to earn her living. After that,the unfortunate incident of acid attack on her compelled her life to turn upside down.

It was a case of rejection. A man offered to marry Reshma, but she refused. He couldn’t accept the rejection and threw acid on her while she was on her way to work. She lost her vision in both the eyes. But she was one of those who are never ready to give up on life. She fought against all the odds within herself and outside. She had undergone many treatments and most amazing thing is that she has got her vision back. Now she is undergoing computer training programme in Bengaluru. She has bagged a good job in a company in Bengaluru, which has offered her to work with them.

Reshma had always high hopes; we too have it for her. She is absolutely an inspiration, a motivation for those who think there is nothing after darkness. She has proved the fact that there is always ray of hope after the long dark tunnel you are to travel.

Reshma needs your love and support to get back to the life she lost. To care please click here

Mallika Das (Batasi)

A bright face entered the office and greeted us with her smile. A face which says, “The strength is not the body but it’s all up there, in mind”.

Mallika, called Batashi by the loved once was born in a village of rural Burdwan. She couldn’t stop herself from helping her family by working from the age as tender as 7 years. In the process, she had to put an end to her studies. In such a household the parents were unwilling to “carry” the burden of a “girl child” more than a few years and she got married and started her life with her husband, who by profession was a rickshaw-puller. But the real struggle was yet to begin. Within a year she gave birth to a baby boy and did not get much support from the husband in anyway. She had to start earning again. The only capital she had at that time was the “dream”. Without even having a proper roof over the head, she started making sugar-cane candies (batasha) and supplied it to various places.

Life never stopped challenging her, sometimes it was an abusive, addicted husband, who was unwilling to think for the family, and sometimes it was the natural disaster which compelled her to move to PashchimMedinipur (Kharagpur) from Howrah. At first it was a struggle for a roof and a proper meal a day, for which she had to separate herself from her own son, for some time.

Simultaneously, she was playing the role of a Sugar-candy manufacturer, a tea-seller, a house wife, a mother when she started to deliver gas cylinder door to door on a bi- cycle at first. Later it took her to a gas distributer who offered her this job in a broader scale. Not that everybody had much faith on her, but she had it on herself and she did it. She accomplished her dreams. Today she is a proud owner of a mini-door van on which she supplies gas cylinder door to door and most importantly she drives it herself. She loads and unloads the cylinders herself too. With her today she has one or two other people, working under. Probably she is the only woman gas cylinder distributor not only in PashchimMedinipur but also in entire West Bengal.

While talking about her journey, we asked her how she managed the physical pressure of her job. Wasn’t she afraid of the struggle and the society? Her face glowed and she said, “Achieving dream is all about mental strength, having physical strength alone won’t achieve it”. Indeed, we, who love to dream, were inspired. Now she is thinking of starting making the sugar-cane candies again, but this time to train other women. She dreams being an entrepreneur.

Mallika needs your love and support to get back to the life she lost. To care please click here

Mazrul Islam

A fatal attack of acid turned the life of Mazrul Islam upside down.

Mazrul lived a normal, happy life until due to some financial crisis he was required to take a loan of a huge amount.  He took the loan from the perpetrator and kept his gold necklace as mortgage. He saved up money gradually because he was even ready to pay the interest. When, on the fateful day, he gathered up the required money and went to collect the necklace, the perpetrator refused to return it. Soon a quarrel broke out between them. Mazrul suddenly felt a burning sensation on his face. He writhed in pain until he was taken to the nearby hospital. He was attacked with acid on his face.

Mazrul has undergone several surgeries at the Kolkata Medical College. The 36 year old acid survivor has high hopes for his adolescent children, a son of 15 years and a daughter of 14 years. He wants them to finish their studies and stand on their own feet. With the help of ASWWF he has been able to continue the cost of their studies. But with his operation expenses mounting by the day, he seems vulnerable. He now looks up to God to save him from the misery.

Mazrul needs your love and support to get back to the life he lost. To care please click here

Sonali Mukherjee

Sonali an 18 year old topper from Dhanbad College in Jharkhand had dreams to become a professor. She had spurned the advances of her neighbour who along with his friends broke into her house on 22nd April 2003 and in revenge poured acid on her face while she was asleep. The attack left her with 70% burns, partially deaf and blind along with severe facial scarring. She has already undergone twenty two surgeries to restore functionality of her face but is still in need of further surgery for facial reconstruction. Despite a prolonged legal battle her attackers are sadly out on bail and free. After behind drained out financially she demanded euthanasia from government and thus came to the sight of media. She got a public platform like Kaun Banega Crorepati, seadon 6 in 2012 . In February, 2014 she got a grade III clerk job by state government of Jharkhand . She got appointed in Welfare Department of Bokaro Deputy Commissioner’s office. In 2015 , April she tied knot with Chittaranjan Tiwari .

Archana Thakur

Archana was 21 years old when she rejected a marriage proposal from her neighbour at Bulandshahar in UttarPradesh. On 15th November 2008 the man came to her house and in vengeance threw acid on her face. She suffered burns on her face, neck, chest, back, hand and lost vision in her left eye. She has already undergone twenty eight surgeries and still needs to get her eye lid and ear reconstructed and the cornea transplanted in her left eye. She got married in May, 2014 .

Siddharth Sasane

Siddharth, a budding musician from Mumbai was attacked in 2008 by unknown person when he was sleeping in Ganpati Pandal with his friends. We are supporting him with Medical treatment.

Kavita Shetty

Kavita was attacked by her husband who was alcoholic and indulged in domestic violence due to orthodox mindset. We are supporting her with her kids’ education & rehabilitation.

Mazrul Islam, Murshidabad, 2013

Mazrul had taken financial loan from the Ganesh Prasad mortgaging a gold necklace. Later when he gathered money and went to Ganesh for the necklace. Though Mazrul was ready to pay back the loan along with the increased , Ganesh refused to return back the necklace. A heated argument took place and Ganesh threw acid on Mazrul. A case was registered and the perpetrator got arrested. However they got bail. Mazrul is striving to lead a proper life with his family.

Rita Paul

It was the year 1998. Rita, a young woman of 22 years, was married off to Gopal Paul. She lived at her in-laws for two years, until the September of 2000. She was only 24 years old when she had become the survivor of a deadly acid attack.

Time flew and Rita had a good life for the next two years that she got married. One fine day she caught her mother-in-law having an illicit affair with another man. She did what she felt right. She revealed it to the family members, and bore the brunt of it. Little did she know that she’d be silenced forever for coming out with the truth. To keep her quite, on the fateful day, her husband and her mother-in-law forcefully made her gulp down one litre of acid. Her insides were burned, including her vocal cord. But she was a fighter. She did raise her voice against such a heinous crime. Although she could not speak she gave in writing what she had endured along with the names of the perpetrators—her husband and her mother-in-law.

Today, she lives with her widowed mother and is struggling to make ends meet. Even in such serious economical conditions she underwent treatment at the AIIMS, Delhi, with the help of a few kind hearted people and organizations. However, she can still hardly speak.

Rita needs your love and support to get back to the life she lost. To care please click here

Mallika Das (Batasi)

A bright face entered the office and greeted us with her smile. A face which says, “The strength is not the body but it’s all up there, in mind”.

Mallika, called Batashi by the loved once was born in a village of rural Burdwan. She couldn’t stop herself from helping her family by working from the age as tender as 7 years. In the process, she had to put an end to her studies. In such a household the parents were unwilling to “carry” the burden of a “girl child” more than a few years and she got married and started her life with her husband, who by profession was a rickshaw-puller. But the real struggle was yet to begin. Within a year she gave birth to a baby boy and did not get much support from the husband in anyway. She had to start earning again. The only capital she had at that time was the “dream”. Without even having a proper roof over the head, she started making sugar-cane candies (batasha) and supplied it to various places.

Life never stopped challenging her, sometimes it was an abusive, addicted husband, who was unwilling to think for the family, and sometimes it was the natural disaster which compelled her to move to PashchimMedinipur (Kharagpur) from Howrah. At first it was a struggle for a roof and a proper meal a day, for which she had to separate herself from her own son, for some time.

Simultaneously, she was playing the role of a Sugar-candy manufacturer, a tea-seller, a house wife, a mother when she started to deliver gas cylinder door to door on a bi- cycle at first. Later it took her to a gas distributer who offered her this job in a broader scale. Not that everybody had much faith on her, but she had it on herself and she did it. She accomplished her dreams. Today she is a proud owner of a mini-door van on which she supplies gas cylinder door to door and most importantly she drives it herself. She loads and unloads the cylinders herself too. With her today she has one or two other people, working under. Probably she is the only woman gas cylinder distributor not only in PashchimMedinipur but also in entire West Bengal.

While talking about her journey, we asked her how she managed the physical pressure of her job. Wasn’t she afraid of the struggle and the society? Her face glowed and she said, “Achieving dream is all about mental strength, having physical strength alone won’t achieve it”. Indeed, we, who love to dream, were inspired. Now she is thinking of starting making the sugar-cane candies again, but this time to train other women. She dreams being an entrepreneur.

Mallika needs your love and support to get back to the life she lost. To care please click here

Reshma Khatun

After losing her father at an early age, Reshma, a young girl became the only support of her family. She was the only earningmember in the family at that point of time. She chose a profession of singing to earn her living. After that,the unfortunate incident of acid attack on her compelled her life to turn upside down.

It was a case of rejection. A man offered to marry Reshma, but she refused. He couldn’t accept the rejection and threw acid on her while she was on her way to work. She lost her vision in both the eyes. But she was one of those who are never ready to give up on life. She fought against all the odds within herself and outside. She had undergone many treatments and most amazing thing is that she has got her vision back. Now she is undergoing computer training programme in Bengaluru. She has bagged a good job in a company in Bengaluru, which has offered her to work with them.

Reshma had always high hopes; we too have it for her. She is absolutely an inspiration, a motivation for those who think there is nothing after darkness. She has proved the fact that there is always ray of hope after the long dark tunnel you are to travel.

Reshma needs your love and support to get back to the life she lost. To care please click here

Sulekha Begum

There is a preconceived notion that only younger people of the society falls under the torment of acid attack or violence like this. But Sulekha’s incident compelled us to think otherwise.

It was a case of acid attack on a 53 year old lady and the perpetrator was her husband, MirzaFarookh, himself. He used to torture her for money and asked her to bring it from her parents, even after so many years of their marriage. She was disturbed, but never thought such an incident might happen until the night on which Mirza poured acid on Sulekha.

She was admitted to a local hospital in Barasat, then was shifted to SSKM and was admitted there for next seven months. She has lost vision in her left eye completely and has a burnt face, hands, chest and legs. She is still struggling with her injuries after so many days.

Sulekha needs your love and support to get back to the life she lost. To care please click here

Archana Manusamare

Archana was attacked by her husband who was alcoholic and indulged in domestic violence due to orthodox mindset. We are supporting her with medical treatment & rehabilitation.

Mazrul Islam

A fatal attack of acid turned the life of Mazrul Islam upside down.

Mazrul lived a normal, happy life until due to some financial crisis he was required to take a loan of a huge amount.  He took the loan from the perpetrator and kept his gold necklace as mortgage. He saved up money gradually because he was even ready to pay the interest. When, on the fateful day, he gathered up the required money and went to collect the necklace, the perpetrator refused to return it. Soon a quarrel broke out between them. Mazrul suddenly felt a burning sensation on his face. He writhed in pain until he was taken to the nearby hospital. He was attacked with acid on his face.

Mazrul has undergone several surgeries at the Kolkata Medical College. The 36 year old acid survivor has high hopes for his adolescent children, a son of 15 years and a daughter of 14 years. He wants them to finish their studies and stand on their own feet. With the help of ASWWF he has been able to continue the cost of their studies. But with his operation expenses mounting by the day, he seems vulnerable. He now looks up to God to save him from the misery.

Mazrul needs your love and support to get back to the life he lost. To care please click here

Moyna Pramanik

A bubbling young girl of13 years old from Lalgarh, Murshidabadwas married off to PabitraPramanik in the year 1998. The parents had no other option but to give their daughter away because of the socio-economic condition. The most important factor in this nuptial lock was that it was a “no-dowry wedding”, as it was the groom who was getting married for the second time.  At the time of her marriage, she was a class eight student.

Things were good, until she gave birth to a baby girl in the year 2000. The daughter in the family was like a burden and Moyna’s in-law relatives started demanding large amount of money from Moyna’s maternal house.

On denial of the amount, her ordeal became unbearable and finally on 24^th of August, 2001, her husband with the help of her mother-in-law and brother-in-law poured acid onher. They did not stop there; they doused her in kerosene and set her face on fire.

But she was a winner. She fought all the odds afterward. Many channels and NGOs showcased her plight and that way she got the financial support to go on with her medical treatment. She filed complaints and was able to get her husband and mother in law detained.

Today, she lives with her parents and most importantly she is now an independent woman who not only earns her own livelihood but also supports her family. She pursued with her education and passed Higher Secondary examination. She is now employed in an open school where she cooks mid-day meal for the students.

Moyna needs your love and support to get back to the life she lost. To care please click here

Pragya Singh

Pragya a graduate in Economics and post-graduate in fashion management from Delhi was 23 when she received a marriage proposal from a distant relative. When this proposal was turned down this person had threatened to ruin her life. Twelve days after her wedding on 30th April 2006 while traveling by train from Varanasi to Delhi she was doused with acid in her sleep. Fellow passengers provided first aid and admitted her to hospital. He was caught at Etawah station and they put him in jail. He served prison for one and a half years after which his financially sound family managed to get him out on bail. They also allegedly bribed the public prosecutor with a lakh of rupees and the judge handling Pragya’s case at the Allahabad High Court. The judgment came out in 2008 and the accused served only three years in jail to complete his four-and-half-year jail sentence.The attack has caused her burns on her back and chest, spoilt her hairline and vision in left eye besides damaging her ear and left arm. She has undergone nine reconstructive surgeries. ASFI has a partnership with Pragya’s ‘Atijeevan Foundation’ . Pragya Singh is also the brand ambassador for the Chennai chapter of ASFI .

Krishna Kumar Nuniya

Krishna Nunia a 28 year old mason from Murshidabad in West Bengal had an estranged relationship with his wife. He had been living separately and had sought a divorce. He was trying to work out a mutual settlement with his wife and in-laws. Disagreements in the process led to an altercation on 7th June 2012 when his father–in-law and brother-in-law tied him to a tree and threw acid on his face. He managed to free himself and escape to a hospital for treatment. The attack has caused the loss of his right eye and severe scarring on his face and nose.

Dipabali Rajak, Malda , 2014

Dipabali ‘s world turned upside down on the 20th of February, 2014 when she got acid attacked by Ujjwal Mandal as she refused to his proposal .The perpetrator allegedly often teased the victim on her way, and so the victim’s father warned him for his behavior. The victim’s father also had a talk with the perpetrator’s father . Being infuriated , the perpetrator entered the victim’s house with a revolver her during the absence of her brother and father . He then took out acid and forced it down her throat . Her screams brought her mother out and the victim splashed it on her as well. The victim had serious injuries on her face and body. She has undergone her endoscopy and it appears that she has lost her esophagus. She needs proper treatment.

Unfortunately, Dipabali fell sick again in September 2017 and ultimately succumbed to her injuries after prolonged suffering, on 23 October 2017.

Chandrahass Mishra, Meerut, 2011

Chandrahass Mishra objected to the vulgar comments that the landlord’s son passed for a woman passing by. Mishra asked him to either stop or else move away. The son rudely behaved with Mishra and so he complained to his father. On the fateful day while Mishra closed his iron warehouse and got on his scooter to return back home , he found the perpetrator approaching towards him with a bucket in his hand and poured it on Mishra. He had undergone several surgeries and had severe burns on his head, right ear, cornea, neck, cheek and hand. He holds a Mcom degree and is in dearth need of Financial help or a job to support his family.

Rahul Kumar , Ranchi, 2012

Rahul who was pursuing CA at that time . He came to his house after CA examinations about a week before the incident. On the fateful day he was at home and his cousin sister was playing with the 12 year old son their neighbour Rinki Devi . Since Rahul was feeling disturbed due to the noise created by them (may be due to altercations) he went out to ask them to stop quarreling when Rinki Devi threw acid on him. He was admitted to the hospital .

Victim wishes to go out of the city for treatment and recover all the expenses incurred and to be incurred in medical treatment either from government or from the accused person.

MallikaDey (Batasi)

A bright face entered the office and greeted us with her smile. A face which says, “The strength is not the body but it’s all up there, in mind”.

Mallika, called Batashi by the loved once was born in a village of rural Burdwan. She couldn’t stop herself from helping her family by working from the age as tender as 7 years. In the process, she had to put an end to her studies. In such a household the parents were unwilling to “carry” the burden of a “girl child” more than a few years and she got married and started her life with her husband, who by profession was a rickshaw-puller. But the real struggle was yet to begin. Within a year she gave birth to a baby boy and did not get much support from the husband in anyway. She had to start earning again. The only capital she had at that time was the “dream”. Without even having a proper roof over the head, she started making sugar-cane candies (batasha) and supplied it to various places.

Life never stopped challenging her, sometimes it was an abusive, addicted husband, who was unwilling to think for the family, and sometimes it was the natural disaster which compelled her to move to PashchimMedinipur (Kharagpur) from Howrah. At first it was a struggle for a roof and a proper meal a day, for which she had to separate herself from her own son, for some time.

Simultaneously, she was playing the role of a Sugar-candy manufacturer, a tea-seller, a house wife, a mother when she started to deliver gas cylinder door to door on a bi- cycle at first. Later it took her to a gas distributer who offered her this job in a broader scale. Not that everybody had much faith on her, but she had it on herself and she did it. She accomplished her dreams. Today she is a proud owner of a mini-door van on which she supplies gas cylinder door to door and most importantly she drives it herself. She loads and unloads the cylinders herself too. With her today she has one or two other people, working under. Probably she is the only woman gas cylinder distributor not only in PashchimMedinipur but also in entire West Bengal.

While talking about her journey, we asked her how she managed the physical pressure of her job. Wasn’t she afraid of the struggle and the society? Her face glowed and she said, “Achieving dream is all about mental strength, having physical strength alone won’t achieve it”. Indeed, we, who love to dream, were inspired. Now she is thinking of starting making the sugar-cane candies again, but this time to train other women. She dreams being an entrepreneur.

Mallika needs your love and support to get back to the life she lost. To care please click here

Mazrul Islam

A fatal attack of acid turned the life of Mazrul Islam upside down.

Mazrul lived a normal, happy life until due to some financial crisis he was required to take a loan of a huge amount. He took the loan from the perpetrator and kept his gold necklace as mortgage. He saved up money gradually because he was even ready to pay the interest. When, on the fateful day, he gathered up the required money and went to collect the necklace, the perpetrator refused to return it. Soon a quarrel broke out between them. Mazrul suddenly felt a burning sensation on his face. He writhed in pain until he was taken to the nearby hospital. He was attacked with acid on his face.

Mazrul has undergone several surgeries at the Kolkata Medical College. The 36 year old acid survivor has high hopes for his adolescent children, a son of 15 years and a daughter of 14 years. He wants them to finish their studies and stand on their own feet. With the help of ASWWF he has been able to continue the cost of their studies. But with his operation expenses mounting by the day, he seems vulnerable. He now looks up to God to save him from the misery.

Mazrul needs your love and support to get back to the life she lost. To care please click here