KOLKATA: Post-graduate student and part-time student counsellor Shaheen Malik’s life was wrecked in a flash as a few jealous colleagues hurled acid at her. “I lost my right eye and can see only partially with the other. I was attacked back in 2009. Since then, there has never been a day when I have not had to take medication. My case is still going on,” said 39-year-old Shaheen.
The barbarous act altered Shaheen’s life forever but it failed to burn her spirit. She went on to set up Brave Souls Foundation to help out other acid attack survivors. The NGO, which works in 10 states across India and has its headquarters in Delhi, launched a centre in Kolkata on Wednesday. “I started the foundation in July 2021. Before that I worked with acid attack survivors for the past nine years as part of various other organizations. I realised we did not have adequate sensitization programmes and that very little was being done for the victims.” said Shaheen, who along with 30 other acid attack survivors, attended the Kolkata launch.
