Meet Nihari Mandali, the burn survivor who started an NGO for other burn-attack victims

Eight years ago, Nihari Mandli, twenty-years-old then, fell in love and her life seemed like a chapter out of a fairy tale. Despite her family's denial, she went ahead and married a man of her choice. The wedding remained a fairy tale only for the next two weeks. The man of her dreams started to mentally and physically torture her. Unable to bear the harassment, she doused herself with kerosene and was in flames in a matter of seconds.

With 90 percent burns on her body, the two-month pregnant Nihari survived the mishap, only to tell her story through public appearances, and very soon in an autobiography. It took nine different surgeries, months of hospitalisation, and lots of courage for the now 28-year-old to fight her own battle. Taking pieces from her own journey, Nihari started an NGO to support other burn attack victims under the banner "Burn Survivor Mission Saviour Trust," says a post by Kenfolios.

A native of the Pulligudda village in Andhra Pradesh, she now stays in Hyderabad. A few years after the incident took place, she filed for a divorce and separated from her ruthless husband, and enrolled herself in a correspondence course in political science.

Also read: Stronger than ever, acid attack survivors are moving more than mountains

Nihari's trust, Burn Survivor Mission Saviour Trust, is all about helping and bringing burn attack survivors back to life, reads the Facebook description of the trust. In the past, the organisation has curated fashion shows bringing the spotlight on women survivors. With free treatment, she wishes to empower these women who often feel worthless. Nihari says she never lost hope in spite of the many surgeries and low times.

Winning a war doesn’t mean killing the enemy, but winning the enemy, she adds.

Among the many awards won, Nihari recently received 'Lady Legends Accolades', says HansIndia.

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