I Took Portraits Of Acid Attacks Survivors In India
Sheroes Hangout, founded in Agra in December 2014, is the first café in India run by acid attack survivors.
Many girls have been attacked when they were teenagers, by relatives because of a family argument, by men whose marriage proposals were rejected, and other reasons. Being a woman in India can be difficult, and even more after such a trauma. Thanks to Sheroes Hangout, they are now able to be independent and make their dreams come true.
The story of these pictures is a personal journey. I went to India doing some research about grassroots charities (I’m a sociology student) and a friend of mine told me about Sheroes Hangout. There is a natural process of the human mind: it gets puzzled when it cannot recognize a face but I wanted to challenge that. I learned Hindi four months before my travel and went specially to Agra for meeting them.
At the first conversation I had with Ritu, I was struggling with my Hindi. She was finishing all my sentences as she knew what I was trying to say and immediately, there was just a heart to heart connection and I just felt I was talking to one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. The images are the result of a relation of friendship I have cultivated during weeks with the girls. My aim was to express this connection in pictures for people to see beyond the scars.
Sheroes Hangout does not receive any funds from the government and all their activities are crowdfunded. If you go see the Taj Mahal, please remember to have a meal with them!
More info: sheroeshangout.com
Being a woman in India can be difficult
Many girls have been attacked with acid when they were teenagers
By relatives because of a family argument, by men whose marriage proposals were rejected, and other reasons
Sheroes Hangout, founded in Agra in December 2014, is the first café in India run by acid attack survivors
The story of these pictures is a personal journey
I went to India doing some research about grassroots charities and a friend of mine told me about Sheroes Hangout
Human mind gets puzzled when it cannot recognize a face but I wanted to challenge that
I learned Hindi four months before my travel and went specially to Agra for meeting them
At the first conversation I had with Ritu, I was struggling with my Hindi
But there was just a heart to heart connection and I just felt I was talking to one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met
The images are the result of a relation of friendship I have cultivated during those weeks with the girls. My aim was to express this connection in pictures for people to see beyond the scars
Thanks to Sheroes Hangout, they are now able to be independent and make their dreams come true
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The fact that someone could do this over a rejection or family argument makes me see so much red!!
The men who did this and still do this ought to be subjected to the same treatment. I am horrified that it's not seen as a crime against humanity by their government. Congratulations to the wonderful photographer for honoring these injured women. Congratulations to the women for having the strength and courage to continue after such abuse.
The fact that someone could do this over a rejection or family argument makes me see so much red!!
The men who did this and still do this ought to be subjected to the same treatment. I am horrified that it's not seen as a crime against humanity by their government. Congratulations to the wonderful photographer for honoring these injured women. Congratulations to the women for having the strength and courage to continue after such abuse.
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