Gender News

Transgender have something to feel happy about

L.Raghunanda
4th Estate
Bangalore

When trans genders are looking to find solace, help them in empowerment, it is Initiatives for Development Foundation (IDF) who have come to their empowerment.

“IDF stands on empowerment of the underprivileged, but the most humanitarian work carried by IDF of late need mention as to transgender, and help IDF sought from Sangama and Samara who helped in identifying this transgender.

“We sought the help of Sangama and Samara in identifying the transgenders, numbering around 2,000 (rough estimate) in Bangalore city whose main resort of the work being begging and offering sexual service and see that they get empowered either through various program under IDF” said M.S Govinda Rajan project executive IDF said.

When asked with Rajan about how IDF has come to help of this transgender he said “ IDF under various program outlined for the transgender is trying to educate the transgender, also giving them training on the cooking, catering helping them set up hotels,

“Provide them skills so that see that they are employed in garment factory, and those interested to get self employed provide them financial help they will be helped in providing loan through microfinance institution, as of now we have provided to some 200 families this loan under IDF microfinance institutions services”.

Sangama and Samara role in upliftment of transgender

While government is known for making promise, they have never kept the promise so far in anything, but we have identified some of this transgender.

It is Samara by itself though, aimed to identify itself, while Sangama fought for rights of transgenders, Samara is for ensuring better health, ensuring in educating the transgender.

“What is the best way to help them this transgender and in Samara we identified those who are needing health based help and counseling.

“The sexual counseling and educations is the key for this transgender community who are in one way or the other are afflicted by sexual transmitted disease, so what we have tried in is we provide them contraceptive to prevent any disease that they will be afflicted if they don’t care.

“Our efforts are also directed at educating the transgender who are numbering around 20,000 in Karnataka State, we also want to provide them legal counseling when they are caught in any embroiligo” said Ms Eluthivai Manohar Director Samara.

Ms Manohar on the government efforts towards transgender “We transgender are hardly been recognized, we asked some of the things to be set right by government that is getting us listed under BC1(A) category, where we could have claimed for some privileges, usually claimed by backward communities.

“But what about the other promise made by government that those above 40 years in and being transgender they will be given Rs 400, but is it is hardly reached this transgender?

But then coming to loan they said loan will be provided to them, if we approach, but then when we approach, they said no loan for transgenders is no where reaching..