TUESDAY October 12, 2021: 'Acid Victim Nomita's Pursuit of Happiness' by ZUMA Press photographer Farzana Akhtar who helps raise awareness of extreme acid attacks through her work in Bangladesh: Acid attack 'vitriolage' involves the intentional throwing of any corrosive onto the face and body of a person to disfigure them. 80% of its victims are women making the crime an extreme form gender-based violence. Women in countries around the world live with the threat of acid attacks. Globally, there are approximately 1,500 acid attacks a year, but it is a crime that often goes unreported for fear of reprisal. Born in Khulna, acid attack survivor Nomita Halder, is a teacher and scholar who was attacked and blind by acid as a 9th grader. Overcoming incredible challenges in her life she completed her schooling and went to college. She is known to be amongst the very first blind writers, who types Braille books by hand for their students. Nomita has dedicated her life to educating visually impaired children. The Acid Survivors Foundation is a Bangladeshi Non-Government organization dedicated to raising awareness and preventing acid attacks and providing survivors with medical and legal aid. Welcome to: 'Acid Victim Nomita's Pursuit of Happiness'
© zReportage.com Story of the Week #809: TUESDAY October 12, 2021: 'Acid Victim Nomita's Pursuit of Happiness' by ZUMA Press photographer Farzana Akhtar who helps raise awareness of extreme acid attacks through her work in Bangladesh: Acid attack 'vitriolage' involves the intentional throwing of any corrosive onto the face and body of a person to disfigure them. 80% of its victims are women making the crime an extreme form gender-based violence. Women in countries around the world live with the threat of acid attacks. Globally, there are approximately 1,500 acid attacks a year, but it is a crime that often goes unreported for fear of reprisal. Born in Khulna, acid attack survivor Nomita Halder, is a teacher and scholar who was attacked and blind by acid as a 9th grader. Overcoming incredible challenges in her life she completed her schooling and went to college. She is known to be amongst the very first blind writers, who types Braille books by hand for their students. Nomita has dedicated her life to educating visually impaired children. The Acid Survivors Foundation is a Bangladeshi Non-Government organization dedicated to raising awareness and preventing acid attacks and providing survivors with medical and legal aid. Welcome to: 'Acid Victim Nomita's Pursuit of Happiness'
NOMITA HALDER, 43, teaching a blind child student has to read braille. The attack happened in 1983, when Halder was a ninth grader, 'A middle-aged man stopped me while I was on my way back home after classes. Before I could even notice, he spilled some kind of liquid on my face and hands. As I was holding my school books in my right hand, I tried to wipe my face with my left hand.' In matter of seconds, she started to feel a burning sensation on her face. 'Out of pain and unable to tolerate the agony, I started to scream. The last thing I can remember is seeing how my hands were melting right before my eyes.'
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
Acid attack survivor NOMITA HALDER, 43, is a teacher and scholar who has dedicated her life to educating visually impaired children in Bangladesh. After the assault she completed her schooling and went to college, where she worked towards her dream of becoming a teacher for other visually impaired girls. She came back to BMIS School in 1996 and was hired as a teacher.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
NOMITA, 43, continues to work as a teacher at Baptist Mission Integrated School (BMIS) and has implemented numerous innovative teaching techniques. She lives with thirty-five of her female students at the BMIS hostel. Nomita, who faces every day of her life with a smile, aims to work for the betterment of the visually impaired for as long as she can.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
Acid attack survivor NOMITA HALDER, 43, is a teacher and scholar who has dedicated her life to educating visually impaired children. She is known to be among the very first blind writers, who typed Braille books for their students.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
Acid attack survivor NOMITA HALDER, 43, is a teacher and scholar who has dedicated her life to educating visually impaired children.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
Acid attack survivor NOMITA HALDER, 43, is known to be among the very first blind writers, who typed Braille books for their students, and has typed over 200 books in Braille voluntarily.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
NOMITA HALDER, 43, weaves baskets at the Baptist Mission Integrated School (BMIS) where she teaches and works. Nomita has fought every hardship of her life with her head up and eyes filled with determination. She still works as a teacher at BMIS where she also contributes financially with half of her salary.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
NOMITA HALDER, 43, continues to work as a teacher at Baptist Mission Integrated School (BMIS) and has implemented numerous innovative teaching techniques. She lives with thirty-five of her female students at the BMIS hostel. Nomita, who faces every day of her life with a smile, aims to work for the betterment of the visually impaired for as long as she can.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
Acid survivors like NOMITA HALDER, 43, not only have combated the acid assault but also the battle of daily of life as a young blind woman. In 1983 when she was in 9th grade, a middle-aged man attacked her on her way back home from classes. Before she realized what was happening her face and hands were soaked in highly corrosive liquid. In this incident, she lost her facial structure and eyesight and even the ability to move her fingers. Disabled she continued her studies with the help of Braille and even passed her matriculation and intermediate exams with a writer on her behalf.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
Acid attack survivor NOMITA HALDER, 43, is a teacher and scholar who has dedicated her life to educating visually impaired children. She is known to be among the very first blind writers, who typed Braille books for their students. Up until now, she has typed over 200 books in Braille voluntarily.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
Acid attack survivor NOMITA HALDER, 43, is a teacher and scholar who has dedicated her life to educating visually impaired children. She is known to be among the very first blind writers, who typed Braille books for their students. Up until now, she has typed over 200 books in Braille.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
Nomita learned to read and write in Braille with the use of a Perkins Braille typewriter and was with her dedication and tenacity able to resume her education. After college, she worked towards her dream of becoming a teacher for other visually impaired girls.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
Acid attacks have been reported in numerous countries around the world, but none have the alarming rate of incidents like Bangladesh. Though the annual rate of attacks is decreasing, from 1999 up to 2018 there were an astounding 3409 assaults and 3788 recovery's reported.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
NOMITA HALDER, 43, teaches a young blind student at the Baptist Mission Integrated School (BMIS) where she works. Nomita has fought every hardship of her life with her head up and eyes filled with determination. She still works as a teacher at BMIS where she also contributes financially with half of her salary.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
NOMITA HALDER, 43, continues to work as a teacher at Baptist Mission Integrated School (BMIS) and has implemented numerous innovative teaching techniques. She lives with thirty-five of her female students at the BMIS hostel. Nomita, who faces every day of her life with a smile, aims to work for the betterment of the visually impaired for as long as she can.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
NOMITA HALDER, 43, teaches a young blind student at the Baptist Mission Integrated School (BMIS) where she works. Nomita has fought every hardship of her life with her head up and eyes filled with determination. She still works as a teacher at BMIS where she also contributes financially with half of her salary.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
Acid attack survivor NOMITA HALDER, 43, is a teacher and scholar who has dedicated her life to educating visually impaired children. She is known to be among the very first blind writers, who typed Braille books for their students. Up until now, she has typed over 200 books in Braille voluntarily.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
NOMITA HALDER, 43, continues to work as a teacher at Baptist Mission Integrated School (BMIS) and has implemented numerous innovative teaching techniques. She lives with thirty-five of her female students at the BMIS hostel. Nomita, who faces every day of her life with a smile, aims to work for the betterment of the visually impaired for as long as she can.
© Farzana Akhtar/ZUMA Press Wire
Acid Victim NOMITA HALDE's Pursuit of Happiness.
© FARZANA AKHTAR is a ZUMA Press Contract Photographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Farzana's work has been driven by observation and her fascination with contrast, color and surface, material manipulation, and ideas of absence, presence, the body and of memory. Looking for the light within the shadows, the stories that are not at first obvious and the uncommon in the common. Photographing people in their environments because she is curious of what lays behind their eyes, where they have been and where they hope to go. Using photography as a means of self expression to identify with hidden qualities of her characters to better understand her reality and to express her interpretation of the world around her. FARZANA AKHTAR is Author of zReportage.com Story #809, Launched October 12, 2021: Acid Victim NOMITA HALDE's Pursuit of Happiness.
//acidsurvivors.org
© The Acid Survivors Foundation is a Bangladeshi Non-Government organization dedicated to raising awareness and preventing acid attacks and providing survivors with medical and legal aid. https://acidsurvivors.org
Farzana Akhtar 
