A new face – or some drinks in the bar? This question might sound very provocative and not very coherent at the first place. But we hope to raise the attention that with very little you can do a lot to help – in this very case to help a young girl called Reshma.
Reshma is the youngest child of a taxi driver from the state Uttar Pradesh, 18 years old. A very beautiful radiant girl with a sweet smile on her face. Until the day that someone took her smile away, took her face away. Yes, we do not understand neither why this happened. But a fact is that actually her brother-in-law and his friends pinned her down and doused her face with acid. Yes, with acid. To forever destroy her face, her look, her smile. Why? Maybe because she was a nice girl, but too popular, too beautiful? Is that possible? One would not think that – for whatever reason – people could do such harm to anyone. But they did.
And now there is poor Reshma, suffering inconceivable pain, physical pain and mental pain. Blinded on one eye, lifelong scars – she describes herself as “scary”. Too scary to socialise with her friends so she hides away in her home. And she needs treatment. She needs help. She needs many more surgeries to kind of restore her face – which by the way will never be the same again.
And this is where you, your families, your friends come into game. We need to support her. Her family does not have a lot of money and already try everything. Some friends and NGOs supported her like Make Love Not Scars or now the Indian Norwegian Community- Being human. But Reshma needs also our help, your help. If we decide not to drink tonight and maybe some other nights, we could help her raising the money she needs for the surgeries.
Of course we need fundamental changes, in our laws, in our mentalities, in general and in particular how to deal with acid attacks. Police and authorities need to change, perception within the people need to change. But we can do a first step. We can be the first ambassadors. Thinking of how it was if it was us, that got attacked, if it was our beloved ones, that lost their face, their smile..
Let us help acid attack victim Reshma getting a new face – instead of some drinks in the bar – please donate here at this indiegogo campaign!
