The Chhanv Foundation is a
non-governmental organization (NGO) set up by
Laxmi Agarwal
Laxmi Agarwal (born 1 June 1990) is an Indian acid attack survivor, a campaigner for rights of acid attack victims, and a TV host. She was attacked in 2005 in New Delhi at the age of 15.
In 2019, she was honored with the International Women ...
and
Alok Dixit
Alok Dixit is a journalist turned social activist, fighting for freedom of Internet in India. He is the founder member of Save Your Voice, a movement against Internet censorship in India and Stop Acid Attacks, a campaign against acid violence. ...
in order to help the survivors of
acid attacks
An acid attack, also called acid throwing, vitriol attack, or vitriolage, is a form of violent assault involving the act of throwing acid or a similarly corrosive substance onto the body of another "with the intention to disfigure, maim, tortu ...
. It runs cafés known under the brand Sheroes in
Agra,
Lucknow,
Noida and
Udaipur, which raise funds for the treatment and rehabilitation of attack survivors. During the
COVID-19 pandemic, it set up an online retail platform for survivors to sell handicrafts directly. The NGO received the
Nari Shakti Puraskar and in 2020 stated it had helped over 100 survivors of acid attacks.
Foundation
The Chhanv Foundation was set up by
Laxmi Agarwal
Laxmi Agarwal (born 1 June 1990) is an Indian acid attack survivor, a campaigner for rights of acid attack victims, and a TV host. She was attacked in 2005 in New Delhi at the age of 15.
In 2019, she was honored with the International Women ...
and
Alok Dixit
Alok Dixit is a journalist turned social activist, fighting for freedom of Internet in India. He is the founder member of Save Your Voice, a movement against Internet censorship in India and Stop Acid Attacks, a campaign against acid violence. ...
in order to help the survivors of
acid attacks
An acid attack, also called acid throwing, vitriol attack, or vitriolage, is a form of violent assault involving the act of throwing acid or a similarly corrosive substance onto the body of another "with the intention to disfigure, maim, tortu ...
, who are mostly women. Agarwal is herself a survivor of a 2005 attack.
The
National Crime Records Bureau stated in 2021 that between 2014 and 2018 there had been almost 1,600 attacks.
Cafés
Chhannv opened a cafés in
Agra in 2014 where survivors could find employment, since they are shunned from many sectors of society. It was known as
Sheroes Hangout Sheroes Hangout is a cafe and community in India, set up by the Chhanv Foundation and run by survivors of acid attacks. The cafe aims to increase awareness of acid attacks and empower acid attack survivors. There are currently two cafe locations in ...
and other branches were opened in
Lucknow and
Udaipur.
During the
COVID-19 pandemic in India, the cafés in Agra and Lucknow were forced to close down. This impacted the foundation's work since the profits were used to fund the treatment and rehabilitation of attack survivors. Dixit then introduced Gift a Story, an internet retail platform which sells products such as candles and handicrafts made by survivors.
In addition, café staff in Agra switched to supplying food to the city's poorest inhabitants, funded by donations.
Sheroes Agra reopened in December 2021.
Seven months later, two Sheroes kiosks were opened in
Noida.
Awards and recognition
Michelle Obama presented Agarwal with the
International Women of Courage Award
The International Women of Courage Award, also referred to as the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award, is an American award presented annually by the United States Department of State to women around the world who have ...
in 2014.
Emma Macey Storch made the film ''Geeta'' about Geeta Mahor who was acid attacked by her husband, who also poured acid on his three daughters whilst they slept in 1992. Mahor later helped to found the Sheroes café in Agra.
''Chhapaak'' is a 2020 film about the life of Agarwal starring
Deepika Padukone.
Padukone donated Rs 15
lakh
A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2,2,3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. For ex ...
to help an attack survivor who had appeared in the film with life-saving kidney treatment.
In recognition of its work, Chhanv received the
Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2017.
As of 2020, it had helped over 100 survivors of acid attacks.
The foundation announced in 2022 that it was fundraising Rs 1
crore
A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...
for medical treatment.
See also
*
Mitti Cafe
Human Rights Action Forum is a non profit organization registered under the Companies Act in the Central Government , the organization was formed on 31 May 2020.The organization has been continuously raising its voice against human rights abuses an ...
References
{{Authority control
Non-governmental organizations
Nari Shakti Puraskar winners