Substance Isn't Skin Deep! Aabha Celebrates Strength in Community

Over the years, 32-year-old Anjana (name changed) had learned to hide in plain sight. Long sleeves in Kerala's sweltering summer, heavy makeup on humid days, and silence whenever someone asked about the patches on her arms. Her secret: psoriasis, a chronic skin condition that often drew stares before sympathy.

- POOJA NAIR @Kozhikode

But on Sunday, Anjana walked into a space where she did not need to cover up, into a space where every mark, scar, and spot became not a source of shame but of shared strength. The day marked the first-ever community meet-up of Aabha, an initiative seeking to create a safe and supportive space for people living with visible skin conditions.

The gathering, designed as an inclusive Onam celebration in Thiruvananthapuram, was the culmination of a journey that began quietly as an online campaign and has since blossomed into a movement.

"I always wondered, whenever I wore my Kerala saree during Onam, whether people were admiring the saree or staring at the colour of my skin," said Aiswarya Sasi, architect, psoriasis advocate, and founder of the Aabha campaign.

"That thought stayed with me. I wanted to build something where people could be seen not just for their skin, but for their aura."