A Pakistani entrepreneur has opened a beauty salon to help rehabilitate the female survivors of acid attacks who are 'usually left to rot in their houses like vegetables'.

Mussarat Misbah founded the Depilex Smile Again Foundation in Lahore, Pakistan, to help victims become self-reliant members of the community following their horrific ordeal.

The foundation's aim is to provide the women with medical and psychological care and help them gain confidence and employment.

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Second chance: Acid attack victims can train to the beauticians thanks to the Depilex Smile Again Foundation

Support: Founder Mussarat Misbah, left, has helped around 600 women rebuild their lives so far

Proactive: Misbah, pictured centre in pink, said she knew she had to do something to help the women who are 'usually left to rot in their houses like vegetables'

Work opportunities can be few and far between for survivors who are often 'treated like modern day lepers'.

Over the last decade, Misbah has helped around 600 women, with most electing to be trained as beauticians as they feel safe in the female-only world.

Others have been given the support they need to start their own businesses.

Misbah said she knew she had to do something to help the young women who are disfigured in attacks often linked to family disputes, sexism or misogyny.

Employment options: The salon in Lahore, Pakistan, is giving burns victims job opportunities in a society where they are often 'treated like lepers'

Team work: Misbah with acid attack victims Anisha Zoya, left, and Bushra Shafi at the reception of her salon

Moved to action: Misbah was inspired to set up the foundation after she met a burns victim in 2003

Not hiding away: Bushra Shafi said thanks to Misbah she now has the confidence 'to face the world'

She knew they needed more than just surgery to get their lives back on track.

She said: 'On average they need to go through 25 surgeries to make them look better and then I also realised that giving them surgeries is not helping their misery, is not helping their pain because they are left to rot in their houses like vegetables.

'They are treated like modern day lepers.'

The philanthropist said she was moved to start the foundation following an encounter with an acid attack victim in 2003.

She said: 'As I was about to leave my office, a young girl walked in and she was wearing a veil and she asked me to help her and I thought maybe maybe she's one of those girls who's asking for financial help and support.

Life changed forever: Aneesha Zoya before left, and after being the victim of an acid attack

Ordeal: Misbah knew that women like Zoya, pictured, needed more than just surgery to help them recover

'I asked her to come the next day as I was going home and then she removed her veil and that was the day which changed my life.

'The girl in front of me was a woman without a face. She had lost her eyes, she had lost her nose, her neck was contracted to her chest.'

Aneesha Zoya and Bushra Shafi are both acid attack survivors who work in the salon.

Aneesha said: 'After this tragedy of getting burnt, I had a feeling that I am not the same person anymore. I stopped venturing out of my house. I stopped meeting people as well. I stopped attending any gatherings and functions.

Bushra Shafi said she stopped venturing out of the house after her face was disfigured by a horrific acid attack, pictured before left and after right

'After coming here, Mussarat Misbah helped me a lot. First she made me undergo surgeries for my face and then I did a course to become a beautician.'

Bushra added: 'After coming here, my life changed completely. She taught me confidence. She taught me how to face the world.

'She made me believe that I have the ability to cope with anything and anyone. It boosted my self-confidence so that I could lead my life in a better way.'

Acid attacks continue to be a problem in Pakistan, with women burned for everything from having a female child to offering too small a dowry.

Fresh start: The salon is helping the women regain confidence and happiness

Misbah said: 'Making laws will never curb a crime, it will never stop a crime, it's only the implementation which is important and how do we do that? The government has to take stern actions against these perpetrators.*

'Sometimes it seems the incidents are on a decrease then all of a sudden you will see in one month there are five girls been attacked with acid. So I think there is much more than what is being reported.

'To me, these girls are our heroes. You must salute them.'



