A short distance from the Taj Mahal, a new cafe dubbed Shereos' Hangout is drawing international attention as the cafe is managed solely by acid attack survivors who develop skills and share their stories with customers.
Sheroes' Hangout is a play on the words 'she' and 'hero' and began through a crowdfunding project by Stop Acid Attacks. The group's mission is to end all acts of violence against women. The cafe accepts donations rather than payments, with proceeds helping acid attack survivors in India. Customers from around the world have come to visit the women and hear their stories.
The women in the cafe have survived acid attacks from family members and rejected suitors, but refuse to let the attacks dictate their lives. These acid attack survivors have not only learned new skills while working at the cafe but have also regained a sense of self-confidence and purpose while over-coming their previous traumas.
Image Credit: David Brossard, Sheroes' Hangout
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Survivor-run Cafes
- Opportunity to support and showcase the resilience of survivors while offering unique dining experiences.
- Crowdfunding for Social Causes
- Potential for leveraging crowdfunding platforms to raise funds and awareness for charitable initiatives.
- Skills Empowerment Programs
- Rise in programs that empower marginalized individuals by providing them with skills training and employment opportunities.
Where This Applies
- Hospitality
- Disruptive innovation opportunity for the hospitality industry to create survivor-run cafes that offer a powerful social impact and unique customer experience.
- Nonprofit
- Innovative approaches for nonprofits to leverage crowdfunding platforms to raise funds for social causes and engage a global audience.
- Social Services
- Opportunity for social services organizations to develop skills empowerment programs that help survivors of violence regain their self-confidence, independence, and a sense of purpose.
