'Abhang': Gurugram School Students Form Group To Upskill & Rehabilitate Acid Attack Survivors

Acid attack cases continue to be reported from the country despite the stringent laws that are imposed against perpetrators. In 2020, the National Criminal Records Bureau (NCRB) data suggested that the country had seen at least 1,500 acid attack cases in the country in the past five years. These numbers would go even higher if the number of attempted assaults were counted.

While data reflects upon the number of attacks annually, the story of the survivors goes beyond these numbers. After the incident, they struggle in every aspect, from securing a livelihood to feeling confident in themselves. It takes years of effort and rehabilitation to get the victims back on track with their life.

In such a scenario, two school students from Gurugram have decided to help the survivors out in the little ways possible to them.

Rehabilitating Acid Attack Survivors

13-year-old Kabir Kohli goes out of words when he tries to describe the kind of agony, mental trauma, and problems that survivors face because of the 'heinous acts of another person'.

A student of Shri Ram School in Gurugram, Kohli, had the opportunity to meet and interact with several acid attack survivors during an internship. Prior to this, he could not fathom the kind of challenges survivors had to face on an everyday basis. Right from the money for their treatment to the lack of proper or accessible services, they have been discriminated against or denied a level platform for somebody else's crime.

He was moved when he got to understand their problems, even if it was just a part of their entire struggle, and decided to do something about it. Along with his friend Anahita Kapoor, who attends the same school as him, they decided to set up a group to help victims in their rehabilitation and enable them to become financially independent.

This is how 'Abhang' (unbroken) came into being.

Finding The Right Platform

A report by the New Indian Express quoted Anahita saying that they had a plan in mind but executing it was not that simple. They had initially ideated on creating a cloud kitchen where survivors could cook and serve customers. However, upon researching and discussing this with the survivors, they understood that they couldn't handle the heat in their condition.

Due to the lesser options and societal conditioning, survivors do not get a lot of chances to prove themselves. However, they kept exploring more options and looking for a line of work that would suit them best. In their attempt to aid the survivors, they chose one of the unconventional paths and are now looking into training them in the field.

"Our plan is to create a self-sustaining and scalable business in the makeup industry. As part of this, we have begun the process of raising funds, connecting with malls for space for kiosks, getting survivors trained in make-up skills," said Anahita.

The duo have proactively stepped into exploring the scope in this field and arranged make-up workshops for eight acid attack survivors earlier this month. After training and necessary sessions, the students would be looking into collaborating with cosmetic brands to help them set up their kiosks and sell their products.

Also Read: Refusal To Marriage Or Sex Account For 78% Acid Attack Cases, Study Finds