Her face is damaged with no sight in one eye, but Reshma Qureshi did not let her appearance determine her life. Today, Reshma is a role model to many acid attack victims in the country.
This 19-year-old brutally disfigured acid attack victim is all set to walk the ramp at this year’s New York Fashion Week. Reshma is not new to the limelight; she is the face of the #EndAcidSale movement of the NGO Make Love Not Scars and features in their videos that begin with providing makeup tips and go on to shock viewers with information on how acids, sold freely across the country, ruin lives.
“It is important for each of us to realise that beauty is not just about how good we look in the mirror,” Reshma shares, adding, “I am very excited to be a part of such a prestigious international platform. When my mentor Ria Sharma from Make Love Not Scars informed me that the FTL Moda has invited me to be part of NY Fashion Week, I was dumb-struck. I was so elated by the news that I was in tears.”
A tenth grade pass-out, Reshma is planning to study further and help other victims. “It is very important for the victims to realise that it was not their fault. Most of us go through a phase of self-doubt, but it is very important to get out of it and face the world. I want them as well as society to understand that somebody’s mad rage has caused us so much pain, but still we are going to live our life to the fullest. I speak to fellow victims often, as psychological help can heal bodily scars,” she explains.
