We made it to Agra late afternoon today, thanks to a punctual and reliable driver, Yograz. But even though our hotel, the Tara Palace, is just a short walk from the Taj Mahal, we hailed a tuk-tuk heading the opposite direction. The sunset over the Taj is supposed to be legendary, but our evening became far more meaningful. A few months ago I had happened to see a news article about the frequency of acid attacks in this region of India. They occur every few days, but until recently the problem wasn't talked about much and the victims (usually women, but occasionally children) are so shamed by their disfigurement, they stay inside. Thus the idea of Sheroes was born- a cafe staffed and run entirely by acid attack survivors, to empower these women and give them pride and independence. It's been open since 2013 and growing more successful as word spreads - they hope to have the resources to open similar cafes in other cites in Uttar Pradesh region.
We arrived shortly after a small tour group of American retirees and were able to surreptitiously listen in on the documentary, presentation and Q&A they were given. Many of the women featured in the documentary were working in the cafe today. It was hard to equate the agonising stories they shared in the film with the confident, smiling, independent women working in the cafe. Their stories were truly horrifying- gruesome attacks at the hands of husbands, cousins, even a mother. Two of the women we met today were a mother and daughter, who was only 3 when the husband attacked them for the wife not providing a son.
I'm happy to report that there were many Indian men in the cafe, sharing their support. In fact, the whole idea was dreamed up by a man, who Patrick spent some time talking to. When asked what inspired him, he said "being human." In a country somewhat infamous for violence against women, it is heartening to see signs suggesting the opposite. We've seen many taxis (driven by men) bearing a bumper sticker promoting respect and safety for women.
Sheroes is an incredible space and testament to positivity. Various artists have donated work, sales of which benefit the project. One of the women, Rupa, is training in fashion design and sells her garments in the cafe. Look out for upcoming photos of me modelling one of her beautiful dresses, because I'll be wearing it a lot!
When I first heard about the cafe and shared an article on Facebook, Patrick's mother was really moved as well and sent us a donation for them. We're happy to say your donation was really appreciated and you'll be getting a little something from Sheroes when we return!
Social media has been vitally important, not just for this individual cafe, but also for increasing awareness about the prevalence of acid attacks, leading to stronger laws (most of the attackers served no jail time, or were released in a few months). So let me add a voice and say that if visiting India has crossed your mind, ensure you stop by Sheroes for a masala chai and some snacks to support this sadly necessary project.
http://sheroeshangout.com/
http://www.stopacidattacks.org/2014/10/cafe-sheroes-hangout-sheroes-here-are.html
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Izw48p_dm3s
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sheroes-Hangout/593003917488083
https://www.tripadvisor.in/Restaurant_Review-g297683-d8087058-Reviews-Cafe_Sheroes_Hangout-Agra_Uttar_Pradesh.html
We arrived shortly after a small tour group of American retirees and were able to surreptitiously listen in on the documentary, presentation and Q&A they were given. Many of the women featured in the documentary were working in the cafe today. It was hard to equate the agonising stories they shared in the film with the confident, smiling, independent women working in the cafe. Their stories were truly horrifying- gruesome attacks at the hands of husbands, cousins, even a mother. Two of the women we met today were a mother and daughter, who was only 3 when the husband attacked them for the wife not providing a son.
I'm happy to report that there were many Indian men in the cafe, sharing their support. In fact, the whole idea was dreamed up by a man, who Patrick spent some time talking to. When asked what inspired him, he said "being human." In a country somewhat infamous for violence against women, it is heartening to see signs suggesting the opposite. We've seen many taxis (driven by men) bearing a bumper sticker promoting respect and safety for women.
Sheroes is an incredible space and testament to positivity. Various artists have donated work, sales of which benefit the project. One of the women, Rupa, is training in fashion design and sells her garments in the cafe. Look out for upcoming photos of me modelling one of her beautiful dresses, because I'll be wearing it a lot!
When I first heard about the cafe and shared an article on Facebook, Patrick's mother was really moved as well and sent us a donation for them. We're happy to say your donation was really appreciated and you'll be getting a little something from Sheroes when we return!
Social media has been vitally important, not just for this individual cafe, but also for increasing awareness about the prevalence of acid attacks, leading to stronger laws (most of the attackers served no jail time, or were released in a few months). So let me add a voice and say that if visiting India has crossed your mind, ensure you stop by Sheroes for a masala chai and some snacks to support this sadly necessary project.
http://sheroeshangout.com/
http://www.stopacidattacks.org/2014/10/cafe-sheroes-hangout-sheroes-here-are.html
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Izw48p_dm3s
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sheroes-Hangout/593003917488083
https://www.tripadvisor.in/Restaurant_Review-g297683-d8087058-Reviews-Cafe_Sheroes_Hangout-Agra_Uttar_Pradesh.html
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