Live to Heal a Life

For a longh time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there were always some obstacles in the way, sometime to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.

Surgeries and Healing

There is a light in this world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter. We sometimes lose sight of this force when there is suffering, too much pain. Then suddenly, the spirit will emerge through the lives of ordinary people who hear a call and answer in extraordinary ways - Mother Teresa

Donate Skin - Save Life

Atijeevan relentlessly works towrads creating awareness among public to come out and register for skin donation.

Recognition

Struggle is proof that you haven't been conquered, that you refuse to surrender, that victory is still possible, and that you're growing - Jon Walden

Workshops and Skill Training

Its not enough to heal the suffering. A means of sustainance need to be found for complete rehablitation.

Burns Camp

Atijeevan joined hands with SIMS chennai to conduct a burns camp treating more than 20 patients through various reconstructive surgeries.

Monday 11 November 2013

Tuba's Heart Wrenching Story

"On occasion of Eid when whole world is celebrating peace and happiness, there is an unfortunate girls who is confined to her black future thinking what had she done wrong to face this day .."
 This is a heart wrenching song written by Tuba's father Mr. Arif and sung by one of Tuba's relatives on occasion of Eid this year.

We request every one to pray for Tuba and help her in fighting this dark phase of her life.

Download this song to listen to Tuba's story: Link

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Atijeevan Exhibition at Pearl Academy - Pehchaan


"Efforts reap benefits, benefits which arise out of hard work and patience"
Finally, our aim to generate employment saw a positive direction at Pehchaan – Pearl Academy’s reunion in Delhi on 25th Delhi, India. Our products displayed in the exhibition were manufactured by none other than two acid attack survivors themselves, the same resulted in generation of income for them.

Two of our volunteers, Ms.Shradhha Dashottar and Ms.Mitali Joshi graced us with their presence at Hotel Golden Tulip, New Delhi and showcased the home furnishing items as well as ladies garments produced by both the survivors. They continued to explain to the people about our purpose and how they can contribute to it. The main focus of the exhibition remained the fact that the survivors had manufactured the home furnishing item with recycled saris donated by humble ladies across India, collected by our volunteers. The product thus manufactured did not just help the survivors but also were eco friendly. Even the uniqueness of each design was appreciated. It is a stated fact that whatever little revenue was generated from the exhibition was handed over to the survivor.

“I was quite unsure about what response we were going to get and how exactly where people coming to the stall going to react .To my amazement everyone appreciated the products and were showing their willingness to help. We managed to make sale even when it was just an exhibition “quotes Shradhha.

We are thankful to everyone present on the occasion for the enthusiastic response and appreciation for the products. We hope to keep providing work to the survivors, and would need the same encouragement and support from everyone.

A special thanks to Pragya Singh because of whom we could grab such a golden opportunity and make use of it to the fullest. She being alumni of Pearl Academy got us into the picture.

Please keep our spirit alive by showing your support by donating saris and purchasing our products.

Sunday 15 September 2013

Acid Attack Survivors Empowerment Project


Atijeevan Foundation along with fellow Acid Survivors and friends as volunteers is trying very hard to create a social enterprise plan to support our fellow Survivors in terms of employment. Hence we have launched an Indiegogo project for raising funds for it via crowd funding. Any one across the world can contribute to us via his credit card starting from 1$ ie around 65 rupees. We have special perks for our contributors in  appreciations to their support.   

The amount collected from the Campaign will help us Establish a stitching workstation  for the survivors. Where in they will produce the Home Furnishing products. We will organize exhibitions of those products to raise money for supporting their livelihoods.

A small contribution from you can make a huge difference in some one's life. Please visit the following link to get more details regarding the project and contribute. Looking forward to all of you with hope.


Best Regards,
Pragya 
Co-Founder, Atijeevan Foundation


Monday 26 August 2013

It never gets over; the struggle to live continues..

The incident changed the person I was – kind, caring and understanding. The attack not only left mark on my face but also my inner-self. People surely observed the change in my attitude, from a jovial, nonchalant person to the one who would be picky every now and then, but no one cared enough to find out what made me be so. Living with the pain and the itching skin day and night made the changed person I was. But remember I don’t care anymore as there are often but bigger bitter things that keep surfacing.
Adversities help us realize our faithful companion, people who stand by you and embrace you for what you are and be a continuous pillar of support. One of them is my true soul-mate – my husband. When I talk about him, my heart glows!  I think every man on earth should be like him - a true gentleman. Not only because he has been by my side all the way but because he respects all and doesn’t hold resentment against anyone. At times in public people’s response puts me off but he maintains a perfect balance and holds me tightly and gives a warm smile to the passer-by.

I am a drop in an ocean, I cannot change my city or my country,because I will always carry my face and that face will always arise so many questions and shocking reactions, so now I have accepted it. Whenever  people stare at me I smile at them. Some smile back but some run away. If I can change people’s perception around me half the battle would be won as beauty lies in the eye of a beholder.

At times, there arises in me a strong desire to relive the past, admiring myself in the mirror or worried about my dark circle and pimples away from those inquisitive, staring eyes but the struggle to live continues.

Wednesday 7 August 2013

Skin Donation - A hope for burn victims


National Burns center has set up a skin bank for burns which will be a boon for all the burn and acid vistims patients. We at Atijeevna Foundation are in constant touch with Dr Sunil Keshwani from National burn center for helping out the acid burn patients.

More about Skin bank and Skin doation can befound at the following link by National Burn Center: Skin Donation

Monday 29 July 2013

Once Upon a Time, there was this monster: Purva

“You think you did something great, huh? I killed my own wife’s second husband, can you compete with that?” The speaker was a huge man. Biceps, the size of my leg, he could have killed someone just by holding them tight.
“Why did you do it?” I thought the safest questions are always the most obvious once.
“We just had a divorce and she wouldn’t let me see my own son, just because I did drugs. It got nasty one day and he came in between us. Fifteen stabs through the stomach are what he got. So, what are you in for hothead, did you kill somebody?”
“No, I didn’t. I threw acid on the face of the love of my life because she said she won’t marry me.”           
“Oh..”
“Are you sure that guy did not die after the second or third stab? Are you sure his eyes were open to see your expression the last moment of his life?
“What??”
“When you killed him, he just died, end of the story. I, on the hand, I did not take away her life; I made sure that rest of her life goes under the shadow of constant pain & suffering and that death becomes a mode of redemption. I ensured that mine is the face she sees every night when no sleep finds her, mine is the laugh that revolves in her head, mine are the eyes which she can’t look into. I stood there hearing the chisel of the acid hitting her face, saw the skin melting away. Nothing for her was going to end now, the screams were just the beginning, start of a life, I planned for her. Where she wakes up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat just by the thought of my presence.”
“Why did you do that?”
“All I ever wanted was for her to spend the rest of her life with me, when that didn’t seem like a possibility; I created a scenario where she will spend an eternity filled with my thoughts. My actions will surely consume every emotion of hers, rage, anger, frustration, sadness and even success. As a true lover, I will stand by her in every step of life, as that scar I gave her. Surely, I did not kill anyone, but anyway I produced a corpse.”
His eyes were fixed on me and his mouth wide open. Words failed him now and finally a low murmur was heard
 There have always been speculations about criminals being capable of showing guilt and acceptance. What I don’t understand is, why confuse both?

I never denied having attacked her, but I never said I was sorry about it.

Importance of Prompt and Proper Treatment - Pragya


After conversation with Sonam and Chanchal I realized how negligence in treatment and Surgeries can lead to harmful lasting effect on the recovery of acid burn patients. Chanchal’s skin grafting  was performed in some central hospital in Bihar. Unfortunately most of her grafts did not settle well and got rejected by her skin. There could be several reasons for this but negligence has to play a major role as well. I am not complaning but its a matter of  concern why didn't her grafts settled? Her eyelids were reconstructed but she is still without eyelids because the eyelid graft  did not attach with her skin and it came out. I too was in similar situation when I consulted a specialist at Apollo hospital Chennai. After my surgery thankfully my upper and lower eyelid settled well in the first attempt and I did not have to go through the pain of follow up surgeries. That’s the difference  in treatment.

Correct long term care has similar impact. Silicon Gel sheet and Contratubex gel are boons for burn patients. I used it on my skin and visibly noticed the difference in few days. But many patient are not aware of it. I am surprised that even some doctors don't know about it or do not prescribe it.

We want to create awareness among people on how to take care of of acid burn patients. How to administer the first aid to prevent severe damage and how to take care of the surgeries further. More details on medical issues is provided in the Medical section of our website. In my opinion  Rehabilitation is the next step we must first ensure that all survivors recover well from the injuries.

Friday 19 July 2013

I See a Monster : Purva

Having stared at my watch for about a minute, i decided to shift my focus to see how many other participants wore one, something that caught my eyes instead, was the goosebumps on my neighbour’s hands; my eyes automatically shifted to her face, twisted in a painful way.

To satisfy my curiosity, I followed her to the screen, near the stage. There it was, the cause of her immense pain, which I too, was about to feel. The stories about acid attack survivors, Chanchal and Sonam. At that very moment my conscious refused to accept the brutality of the incident and as Alok went on about the other cases, my heart sank deeper, a voice in my head screamed, "And you worried about a bad-hair-day!."

My head sank down in shame.

Later, I gathered the stories about the rest of the victims from the Stop Acid Attacks website, and with each victim, my frustration grew deeper. "At first, it feels like an icy splash, and then the burning starts," were the words that refused to leave my mind.

Some wise man has rightly said ,"Once obsession poisons a mind, it renders it useless". My imagination ran wild tracing the day they became victim of a heinous act of rage.  I found my self standing beside the victims trying to figure out their reactions, how they would have started their day with a grin on their faces, not having a slight hint of what awaited them.

As they reached the respective spots of the crime, my panic increased, I wanted to warn them about the hostility on the attacker’s face, pull them away just before the burning liquid charred their skin and organs. But, it was past; the acid had done the damage, they had screamed for help while their attackers smiled like a devil. Their eyes were burning, eyelids were gone, face melted away and voices- they faded in agony.

Many a beautiful dream and aspirations were washed off with the splash of that merciless act of rage. Warm tears making their way through my cheeks reassured the safety of my present and the realisation struck me hard.

We live in a world where a 70-year-old gets mad at a girl of 15 for refusing to marry him or a guy believes that by messing a girl’s life, he might win her over. Here, the old evils of dowry and greed survive stronger than ever in the support of lust and inhumanity. Justice is a crooked concept which revolves around the pains of the one in need of it.

There are millions of girls like me, who could not smile for days after learning about this cause, that ensures a risk free life to victims fighting acid attacks, which seems like a boon to them.

To all I appeal, let us try to take this cause to the ones who are not as fortunate as us, but only stronger, braver and more spirited than all of us.


"Only if her face could tell her story I thought and there it was — the conclusion to my suffering — I should burn her face. Yes, why not? Who would she invite in her house once that happens? Then i would see if she dares push away true love."

As the Golden Bird Awakened: Purva


Having stared at my watch for about a minute, i decided to shift my focus to see how many other participants wore one, something that caught my eyes instead, was the goosebumps on my neighbour’s hands; my eyes automatically shifted to her face, twisted in a painful way.

To satisfy my curiosity, I followed her to the screen, near the stage. There it was, the cause of her immense pain, which I too, was about to feel. The stories about acid attack survivors, Chanchal and Sonam. At that very moment my conscious refused to accept the brutality of the incident and as Alok went on about the other cases, my heart sank deeper, a voice in my head screamed, "And you worried about a bad-hair-day!.”

My head sank down in shame.

Later, I gathered the stories about the rest of the victims from the Stop Acid Attacks website, and with each victim, my frustration grew deeper. "At first, it feels like an icy splash, and then the burning starts,” were the words that refused to leave my mind.

Some wise man has rightly said ,”Once obsession poisons a mind, it renders it useless”. My imagination ran wild tracing the day they became victim of a heinous act of rage.  I found my self standing beside the victims trying to figure out their reactions, how they would have started their day with a grin on their faces, not having a slight hint of what awaited them.

As they reached the respective spots of the crime, my panic increased, I wanted to warn them about the hostility on the attacker’s face, pull them away just before the burning liquid charred their skin and organs. But, it was past; the acid had done the damage, they had screamed for help while their attackers smiled like a devil. Their eyes were burning, eyelids were gone, face melted away and voices- they faded in agony.

Many a beautiful dream and aspirations were washed off with the splash of that merciless act of rage. Warm tears making their way through my cheeks reassured the safety of my present and the realisation struck me hard.

We live in a world where a 70-year-old gets mad at a girl of 15 for refusing to marry him or a guy believes that by messing a girl’s life, he might win her over. Here, the old evils of dowry and greed survive stronger than ever in the support of lust and inhumanity. Justice is a crooked concept which revolves around the pains of the one in need of it.

There are millions of girls like me, who could not smile for days after learning about this cause, that ensures a risk free life to victims fighting acid attacks, which seems like a boon to them.

To all I appeal, let us try to take this cause to the ones who are not as fortunate as us, but only stronger, braver and more spirited than all of us.

I Slept with an Open Eye: Pragya


My old life has vanished in the flames of acid now I fight everyday to recover from it and become a normal woman. In dreams I see my old face in mirror, scared of pimples and afraid that i will have a sunburn. Experimenting with so many beauty products for pimples, fairness. But now I don't fight with beauty products. I fight to look normal without eyebrows, no hairline...how can I look?

People always look back. They always turn around to look. Some kids shout, some ask their mother what happened, some follow, some hide. Once a kid in my neighborhood said she hates me. She doesn't like my face, my eyes, my lips, my hand...she said I am yuck! But today also I feel like a normal girl and the same Pragya from inside. Then why are people not being normal to me?

Sometimes I think of my last hours in Banaras. I was very happy, happier than ever in my life. My parents were so proud and happy. I got married to the kind of person I always wanted to. He is just like my father. I was so content, so happy. I visited so many temples in 2 days of my visit to Banaras. I thanked God for giving me all the happiness. I just could not ask for more. Very soon i will get a job and will make my own family.

Today also when i think of those times, I feel so happy and content. But why me? Why God chose me to face all this? What that person thought of when he decided to throw acid on me? Didn't he ever think of the pain me and my family will have to bear? He also had his family, his wife. Did he ever thought of them? Did he had a heart or mercy in his heart? I respected him so much. My only intention was to make everyone happy at any cost. Whoever I know. Now I got a reward for that? Sometimes I think should I also be bad to people because people have never been nice to me. But when I see my husband and parents I cannot think of anything bad. God, they are ANGELS. They are such a beautiful human being and I am a part of them. I represent them. How can i do or think bad?

I understand why people are curious, i was curious too. When I came back from hospital after 3 months I didn't wanted to see the mirror. I told my brother to put a towel on the mirror. I avoided mirror for 4 months. I was so scared. Will I ever be normal? Will i ever be independent? When 1st time I saw myself completely I was scared going near to the mirror. MY FACE LOOKED OLD, AND UP CLOSE....AGELESS!!! A baggy neckline, thick crumbled lips, cheeks splotchy and rough. Where my right ear should be I had a pea size hole. My nostrils, so small that i could not breathe properly.

My eyelids had gone, nothing to cover my eyes. I slept with an open eye. Oh God hug me tight, I don’t want to break. Sometimes I think, what’s the point of fighting back? Because now I know I can never be well again. But then there's a hope. Hope to get happiness and spread the same. A dream to live, live for my family.

MY PEOPLE, yes my people. My parents, my husband, my special brother and my siblings only matter to me. They always have stood by my side, wanted me to get well, overcome from everything and start a beautiful life. For them it doesn’t matter how I look. For them only relationships matters and I matter as a person.

I have come so far, how can I go back? Specially at a time when my daughters have given 'meaning to my existence' and when I see my DNA growing in front of me I look up to God and thank him, for giving back my identity and my face. I am very lucky to have them in my life and that will help me achieve my goals.
I will do it.

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. I believe in myself !!!

Pragya.

Wednesday 17 July 2013

Welcome

Hi
Welcome to Atijeevan Foundation.
We are fighting every day for making the ardent lives of aicd Survivor better.
Do join in in our little step and lend us a helping hand..
AF Team