Help brave soul Shaheen give life-changing surgeries and shelter to acid attack victims like her“I was waiting outside my office one day when suddenly a guy walked up beside me and before I could react, he had drenched my face with acid. I was an ambitious, career-oriented young woman but that day changed the course of my entire life. After the attack I could barely recognise the person I saw in the mirror. My entire identity was taken away from me. The attackers thought they would teach me a lesson and dampen my spirit, but they failed. Through my resilience I fought through financial struggles and began to care for girls and young women like me”, says Shaheen Malik, founder of Brave Souls. The organisation is the only source of support for over 200 women and girls, helping them get shelter, medical care and justice.Shaheen through Brave Souls is on a mission to fight for acid attack survivors. But sadly, she cannot do it alone. Help Brave Souls in transforming the lives of acid attack survivors who have been suffering in agony for no fault of theirs. Donate nowDonate easily through UPI, all debit/credit cards and net banking. Charitable donations to this fundraising campaign are tax exempted under 80G of the Income Tax Act (India).<img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/d4c1fe55-24da-4321-acdd-26a4fd234111.webp" />A painful aftermath“The moment the acid hit my face I went into shock. I didn't understand what had happened. The acid had gone into both my eyes. I was rushed to the hospital. By then I had already sight in one of my eyes and could barely see anything from the other. When they splashed water on me each drop felt like a thousand needles,” recalls Shaheen as she narrates events from the fateful day.“Little did I know that the attack was just the beginning of my struggles. Our family did not have enough resources to carry the burden of my treatment. I would go and ask people for funds but would be turned down. I would cry on my way back but would wipe my tears and soldier on. The fight still continues even after a decade. And I am not just fighting for myself but for hundreds of other girls and young women like myself” She further adds.<img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/8e5b3e32-cd9a-4060-a715-6ceb01ac587b.webp" />Why donate to the fundraiserBrave Souls is in urgent need of funds to be able to provide critical surgeries needed to help acid attack victims. The NGO not only gives survivors medical support but even gives them shelter and legal aid to fight their cases and get justice. Shaheen and her NGO is dire need of funds to support survivors and your contribution can make a huge differenceDonate to this fundraiser on give.do, India’s largest and most trusted online donation platform, to help women survivors of acid attacks get life-changing surgeries, safe shelter, and care.

This Navratri, join Shaheen in the fight against acid attacks. Donate now

One evening in September 2018, Nethra’s alcoholic husband doused her in kerosene, set her on fire, locked the door from outside, and walked away. Hearing her wails, neighbours came to Nethra’s rescue and took her to a government hospital. Despite third-degree burns, Nethra survived after months in the hospital. But she became almost immobile. She could hardly move her hands or head as her chin was almost fused to the neck. She survived on liquid and semi-solid food as she couldn’t chew or close her mouth. “My face was so severely disfigured that my mother hid all the mirrors at home so that I would not see myself,” recalls Nethra. As the low-income family couldn’t afford proper after-care or reconstructive surgeries, Nethra was getting suicidal when Agni Raksha, a Bangalore-based NGO came to her rescue. After multiple surgeries at the NGO’s ‘Safe Haven,’ its critical care unit, Nethra is back on her feet. She is trained in tailoring and now works odd jobs and takes care of her two children.Like Nethra, most burn victims who come to Agni Raksha belong to low-income families and almost 95% of them are women. While some are victims of severe forms of domestic violence by husbands, others try to commit suicide by immolating themselves because of constant harassment. But due to the pandemic and lack of funds, Agni Raksha run by Dr Prema Dhanraj, a burn victim herself, had to shut its free critical surgeries unit. It has been a huge blow to burn victims from low-income families. You can help Dr Prema reopen her free burn surgeries unit. Agni Raksha- A beacon of hope for burn survivorsHeaded by Dr Prema Dhanraj, the NGO has treated over 18,000 burn victims in over 15 years. While the NGO continues to provide out-patient facilities for burn victims it had to shut down ‘Safe Haven’ its critical unit, because of a lack of funds after Covid.“Covid was a body blow for us as we had to close Safe Haven. We have the building, beds and other facilities, but we don’t have funds to pay doctors and support staff or buy critical care equipment and medicines. I feel very bad for victims who require emergency treatment, reconstructive surgery and post-operative care. The most heartbreaking thing for me is when some burn victims are brought here first thinking that we still run Safe Haven,” says Dr Prema.Help Dr Prema reopen Safe Haven and start providing critical care and carry out surgeries on burn victims. Donate now.As Dr Prema can no longer conduct reconstructive surgeries and post-operative care at Agni Raksha, she refers burn survivors to different hospitals with a letter pleading that her patients cannot afford the money. “I don’t always succeed in getting them free treatment in hospitals, but I try my best. I wish I could provide all the care they need at Agni Raksha,” says Dr Prema.Lifelong disability and disfigurements because of burns can also cause emotional problems such as depression, suicidal tendencies and nightmares. Many burn victims lose purpose in life. Keeping these things in mind, Agni Raksha provides psychological as well as vocational support so that burn survivors can go back to leading normal lives. In fact, 90% of the staff at Agni Raksha comprise burn survivors.Your donations can help hundreds of burn victims stay hidden away from the world as they cannot afford surgeries so they can lead a normal life. Donate now

Help Padma Shri winner Dr Prema Dhanraj provide women suffering from burn injuries with surgery and care

Saraswati Vishwakarma spends her day in and out of a public hospital in Mumbai since her niece was admitted there. On most days she goes hungry and sometimes a small vada pav is all that she can afford to eat in the entire day. Like Saraswati there are thousands of underprivileged families living outside government hospitals in extreme conditions, with no food or a bed to sleep on, waiting for their loved ones to get the treatment they require.  Vikas Parcchanda, CEO Akshaya Chaitanya, Maharashtra Chapter is supporting thousands of family members living outside government hospitals with 6,500 hot and nutritious meals every day. This requires a continuous flow of funds, which are now drying up. They have enough cash to sustain for just one more month. One full meal a day- one thing less to worry“They stay here for weeks, sometimes even months. They are poor, most of them have no medical insurance, they lose their livelihood and have no place to stay. Many find refuge on sidewalks and pavements to sleep and decide to go hungry for days, just to save a few more rupees. So we wanted to ensure no families of the patients getting treated in these hospitals go hungry or compromise on their meals ” - Vikas Parchhanda, CEO, Akshaya Chaitanya, Maharashtra Chapter.Every day Akshaya Chaitanya serves 6,500 free unlimited hot &amp; nutritious meals at Mumbai’s 17 major public hospitals. These free meals help families save at least ₹100 every day - a big amount for low-income individuals.Served with loveFood for the ‘Hospital Feeding Programme’ is made in a centralised Akshaya Chaitanya kitchen where hundreds of kgs of rice, dal and vegetables are cooked every day. Rice, mixed veg gravy, sambhar, pulao and curd are some of the items they serve.“Each of these the family members wait in anticipation for the food to be served the next day. But the reality is we have the funds to run this kitchen for only a month. Our grocery and vegetable stock is depleting and we are in need of urgent support to continue feeding these hungry souls waiting outside the hospital. Please help us” - Vikas Parchhanda. CEO, Akshaya Chaitanya, Maharashtra ChapterFeed 6,500 meals to family members of patients in needYour donation can ensure that these well-wishers of suffering patients have at least one meal a day to sustain themselves as they brave harsh weather, unlivable conditions and hunger outside India’s public hospitals. A little bit of kindness can provide them with nutrition and care. Donate now.About Akshaya ChaitanyaAkshaya Chaitanya is an initiative of HKM Charitable Foundation started with the objective to eradicate hunger by providing food relief to marginalised sections of the society in the city of Mumbai. Through their hospital feeding service, the organisation cooks free food in their 8,000 sq. ft Byculla kitchen that caters to the poor marginalised communities outside government hospitals.

Help provide 6,500 meals per day to family members of poor patients who wait outside government hospitals

Community based orginzation working for transgdenr community 

Human Rights

Transgender Welfare Equity and Empowerment Trust (TWEET), commonly known as Tweet Foundation is a community-led organization focused on trans* empowerment and welfare in India. TWEET Foundation was established by seven trans* activists in 2015 to support the trans* youth movement, especially the trans* men community that faces extreme gender-based violence and has been highly invisibilized. TWEET is a trans-led organization and as a pioneer in India, represents an equal partnership among trans* men and trans* women. The organization came into existence to specifically work on issues that had not been addressed in other larger HIV service delivery or advocacy programs in the past in India. Resources for young trans* persons have been scarce in India and the issues of the trans* communities from a social, psychological, and economic standpoint have remained unaddressed. TWEET works to provide critical support to young transmasculine and transfeminine persons such as crisis support, short shelter stays, health and legal resources, and connecting with skill building and inclusive employment opportunities. Alongside community-based capacity building, TWEET works closely with key stakeholders for mainstreaming trans* advocacy. TWEET partners with the government to bring in policy-level changes and with civil societies and corporations to build strategic partnerships in order to holistically support trans* welfare. TWEET is a registered society under the Mumbai Charity Commissioner (registered in May 2017).

Donations through Give Foundation, registered under section 80G of India's Income Tax Act, 1961 are tax-deductible.

Maya Awasthy

TWEET Foundation

This nonprofit is registered as a charitable trust under section 12A of India's Income Tax Act, 1961.

This nonprofit is registered under section 80G of India's Income Tax Act, 1961. This means you can deduct 50% of the donation you made through your tax return.

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This Navratri, join Shaheen in the fight against acid attacks. Donate now

Help Padma Shri winner Dr Prema Dhanraj provide women suffering from burn injuries with surgery and care

Help provide 6,500 meals per day to family members of poor patients who wait outside government hospitals

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