Help Transgender (Hijra) Indians - COVID 2nd wave
Donation protected
Supporting INDIA
India needs help in this unprecedented hour of crisis. The actual number of people affected could be far larger due to the sheer impossibility of getting numbers in such a large and diverse country. We have had longstanding ties with India through our family, friends, students and collaborators. A major issue for many of us living out of India is finding the right way to help so we can all make a difference.
While every individual in India is affected, the plight of the marginalised especially the transgender community (called Kinnars) in India is all the more distressing as they have no means of livelihood. Many are suffering for basic necessities like food and medicines. There is no social security system that takes care of these people and in an already overwhelmed hospital system the transgender community which faces huge amount of bias is pushed towards further neglect.
I am sharing a few personal stories here to provide a clearer picture of the plight of my friends in India. Annu Akade (Mumbai) somehow managed to admit her mother in a hospital just before the lockdown in Mumbai. Her mother had suffered a stroke that has left her paralysed. Annu has recently contracted COVID and is now unable to assist her mum in hospital, and other friends are severely limited in the help they can offer. Her mother lies unattended in hospital with no assistance from any quarters.
Naina (Mumbai) lost her mother due to COVID. Annu and Naina are considered as lucky Kinnar women as they were accepted by their mum. Most transgender people do not come out and if they do, usually have to leave their family and join a community of other Kinnar women, who are treated as outcasts by the rest of society.
Disha (Delhi) has been unable to earn an income from blessing people due to lock down. Giving blessings is one of the few ways in which Kinnar women can earn income in India as some believe in the power of their blessings.
To know more about Kinnars / Hijra (Transgender women) please watch this 7 min. long documentary
We are creating a fundraiser to help these people. All money raised from this fundraiser will be distributed directly to a group of Kinnar women, including Annu, Naina and Disha. This ensures that there will be no admin costs and no misappropriation of funds. We are setting up a GoFundMe page and would appreciate any assistance you can offer.
India is gasping for breath and the Kinnar community in particular will welcome your generosity.
India needs help in this unprecedented hour of crisis. The actual number of people affected could be far larger due to the sheer impossibility of getting numbers in such a large and diverse country. We have had longstanding ties with India through our family, friends, students and collaborators. A major issue for many of us living out of India is finding the right way to help so we can all make a difference.
While every individual in India is affected, the plight of the marginalised especially the transgender community (called Kinnars) in India is all the more distressing as they have no means of livelihood. Many are suffering for basic necessities like food and medicines. There is no social security system that takes care of these people and in an already overwhelmed hospital system the transgender community which faces huge amount of bias is pushed towards further neglect.
I am sharing a few personal stories here to provide a clearer picture of the plight of my friends in India. Annu Akade (Mumbai) somehow managed to admit her mother in a hospital just before the lockdown in Mumbai. Her mother had suffered a stroke that has left her paralysed. Annu has recently contracted COVID and is now unable to assist her mum in hospital, and other friends are severely limited in the help they can offer. Her mother lies unattended in hospital with no assistance from any quarters.
Naina (Mumbai) lost her mother due to COVID. Annu and Naina are considered as lucky Kinnar women as they were accepted by their mum. Most transgender people do not come out and if they do, usually have to leave their family and join a community of other Kinnar women, who are treated as outcasts by the rest of society.
Disha (Delhi) has been unable to earn an income from blessing people due to lock down. Giving blessings is one of the few ways in which Kinnar women can earn income in India as some believe in the power of their blessings.
To know more about Kinnars / Hijra (Transgender women) please watch this 7 min. long documentary
We are creating a fundraiser to help these people. All money raised from this fundraiser will be distributed directly to a group of Kinnar women, including Annu, Naina and Disha. This ensures that there will be no admin costs and no misappropriation of funds. We are setting up a GoFundMe page and would appreciate any assistance you can offer.
India is gasping for breath and the Kinnar community in particular will welcome your generosity.
Organizer
Mayur Katariya
Organizer
Braeside VIC
