**Changing Lives: Empowering Survivors Through Beauty and Inclusion**
In a world where beauty standards are often more exclusionary than inclusive, Pakistan’s Depilex Smileagain Foundation (DSF) and L’Oréal Pakistan, supported by funding from Fondation L’Oréal, have reached a remarkable milestone. Sixty women recently completed a transformative four-month training course and gathered at the Depilex Centre in Karachi to receive their certificates. This course is part of the *Beauty for a Better Life* (BFBL) programme.
BFBL is more than just a training initiative; it is rewriting the narrative of survival and recovery. These graduates are not ordinary women — all of them are survivors of acid attacks and domestic violence. The comprehensive training covered haircare, skincare, makeup, and salon management. But beyond professional skills, it symbolized something far greater: independence, dignity, and a chance to rebuild their lives.
Masarrat Misbah, founder of DSF, explained at the graduation ceremony, “*Beauty for a Better Life* is more than a training programme. It restores dignity, reignites hope, and opens real opportunities.”
Despite this progress, the reality remains complex. Many survivors still face discrimination when seeking employment, social exclusion from family gatherings, and limited long-term support. Masarrat Misbah emphasized the urgent need for practical assistance in securing steady jobs, stressing that vocational training is only the beginning. Survivors require genuine opportunities to apply the skills they’ve acquired.
### A Fashion Show with a Difference
Just two weeks before the graduation, *Runway SS 25* transformed from a typical glamorous fashion event into a powerful platform for inclusion and empowerment. The event attracted Pakistan’s top designers, stylists, models, choreographers, fashion writers, bloggers, influencers, celebrities, and editors.
In a remarkable moment, Masarrat Misbah walked the runway alongside acid attack survivors and vision-impaired individuals. The collaboration featured clothes by renowned designer Zubair Shah, with professional models guiding the survivors down the catwalk. Some walked with confident smiles, others with quiet determination. The audience—a gathering of Pakistan’s fashion elite—rose to their feet in applause.
This occasion marked much more than a fashion showcase or a narrative shift from victims to survivors. It created a true sense of belonging.
### Celebrating Arts and Inclusion
The evening was enriched by a special performance from celebrated dancer Sheema Kermani, who performed Kathak to the poetry of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, paying tribute to departed members of the arts community. Young dancers infused contemporary energy into classical dance forms, while designers presented everything from traditional bridal wear to innovative garments.
The message of inclusion was further amplified by transgender rights activist Kami Chaudhry, who walked as a showstopper, reinforcing the event’s broader vision of acceptance and diversity.
### A Dream Realized
For Anwaar (name changed to protect identity), a young man and acid attack survivor, walking the runway was the fulfillment of a dream he once thought lost forever. “As a teenager, I aspired to model,” he shared. “But after the acid attack, I had to give up on my dream. Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would walk the runway as a fashion model after what happened to me. It is truly a dream come true.”
Anwaar’s experience embodies the impactful dual mission of the *Beauty for a Better Life* programme: equipping survivors with tools for economic independence and reigniting hope that their dreams can become reality.
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This inspirational initiative continues to change lives by breaking barriers, restoring dignity, and creating opportunities for survivors across Pakistan.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/1345076-what-caught-our-eye
