The Palash Foundation was started in 2010, as an initiative to encourage social rehabilitation of disfigured people, who are often feared, reviled and discriminated against. Along with psychological and emotional support, the organization seeks to redress the social situation of the "visually different" and secure their position in an inclusive environment.

The founder of Palash, Shirin Juwaley, was the victim of an acid attack by her husband, an attack which left most of her face badly burned. Also added to the trauma of the attack was people's reactions of shock, fear, and revulsion when they saw her face. However, after a life changing seminar in the US, where she realized that being different did not mean being excluded from society,  Shirin realized that acceptance was a right that she should not have to struggle for, and with this motivation, returned to India and begun her work.

Her journey so far has been touching and fulfilling, and simply shows that one should not bow to the mercies of life, but forge one's own path and grow.