Against All Odds | Burnt but unbroken, acid attack survivors open Sheroes Hangout in Pune

Rajput said her parents confronted the man and warned him to stop harassing her. However, the stalking continued. After closely monitoring her routine, he allegedly entered her home one night while she was asleep and attacked her with acid.

The attack changed her life dramatically. She later connected with a non-governmental organisation, which helped her access treatment, legal support, and education.

“The foundation helped me live again,” she said.

Rajput joined the organisation at the age of 15. With its support, she completed her Class 12 education and continued her studies. She also fought a legal battle that resulted in her attacker being sentenced to life imprisonment.

Today, the 28-year-old serves as a trustee of the organisation and works with other survivors.

Hundreds of kilometres away in Odisha, Bisoyi Manini’s life was altered by a similar act of violence.

When she was 15, a 25-year-old man approached her family with a marriage proposal. Her parents rejected it. According to Manini, the man later got married but continued pursuing her. Her family refused again.

“He would come back and say he wanted to marry me,” she said.

Manini said that a neighbour who knew the man kept him informed about developments in her life. Believing that her marriage had been fixed elsewhere, he and others entered her house one night and attacked her with acid while her family slept.

“In my village, nobody knew what an acid attack was,” she said. “People thought maybe a snake had bitten me because my body had turned black.”

Manini said it took several hours before she received proper treatment. Her family took loans to cover medical expenses as she underwent treatment and recovery.

When she returned home, Manini faced social isolation. “People started ignoring me. Children were scared of me and people would comment on my appearance,” she said. “I started covering my face with a scarf.”

Wanting to support her family, Manini later began working in Bengaluru before learning about the foundation through another acid attack survivor.

Joining the organisation became a turning point. She first worked in Noida and later in Agra, where interacting with visitors helped her gain confidence and learn English.

Today, the 26-year-old works as a senior member of the organisation in Pune.

The experiences of Rajput and Manini are among the many stories behind Sheroes Hangout, a survivor-led initiative that is set to open its Pune café in Viman Nagar.

Launched in 2014 as an extension of the Stop Acid Attacks campaign, Sheroes was created to challenge the stigma surrounding acid violence while providing survivors with employment and rehabilitation opportunities.

Much more than a café

More than a café, the initiative functions as a support network where survivors receive training in hospitality, communication, and customer service, alongside access to educational, vocational, and emotional support programmes.

“After an acid attack, society does not treat you well,” Rajput said. “Many survivors start questioning why this happened to them. When they meet other survivors, they realise they are not alone.”

The first Sheroes café opened in Agra in 2014, followed by centres in Lucknow, Noida, and Delhi. Together, the cafés employ survivors and serve as spaces where visitors can engage directly with their stories while challenging stereotypes around disfigurement and gender-based violence.

Beyond the cafés, the initiative runs survivor-led podcasts, art therapy programmes, embroidery and printing workshops, chocolate-making initiatives, and other skill-development projects. It is also planning a women-driven cab service.

The initiative received the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2016, one of India’s highest honours for women’s empowerment, in recognition of its work supporting acid attack survivors.

The Pune centre will become the latest addition to the growing network.

“We want survivors to know that life does not end after an attack,” Manini said.

Rajput echoed the message.

“You need to stand up for yourself,” she said. “Only then do people start supporting you.”

For both women, the upcoming café represents more than a workplace. It is a space where survivors can find dignity, independence and the opportunity to rebuild their lives on their own terms.

Ananya Shetty is an intern with The Indian Express, Pune.