Neetu

Neetu had a little bit of sass to her. She pointedly asked why I can't speak Hindi very well when my mom is so fluent. After learning that I grew up in the U.S. she immediately became inquisitive. It was refreshing for her and the other girls to hear that people from across the world had heard about this cafe and made a point to visit. She was happy to hear that the awareness initiative of the foundation was clearly working. It turns out, much like I was with my mom that day, Neetu's mom is also a member of the foundation and came and sat with us later in the conversation.

Originally from Agra, the 23 year old Neetu has been with Sheroes since its inception. She spent 1 year campaigning with the organization and has been working at the cafe for the past 2 years since it opened in late 2014. She was only 3 years old when she, her mother and 18 month old sister were all attacked. While the three of them were sleeping in bed, Neetu's father decided to throw acid on them. Sadly, the little sister did not survive. But Neetu and her mom are flagship members and are thriving. Though it was not explicitly said during this conversation, many times when a father/husband attacks his own family it is because he blames them for not being given a son. Here is a clip of her speaking about her attack.

On a lighter note, Neetu's main interest is in singing. She was a little shy that day to sing for us, but based on her speaking voice it was clear that she definitely had a sweet singing voice. This was the only moment where Neetu showed any shyness. Through the way she carried herself and opened up about her work with the foundation, she showed she is a very strong, secure individual. She later revealed that she never covered her face once after her attack. With the support of her mother, she had the confidence to walk in the open without any shame. If that isn't inspiration, I don't know what is.