DU students helping transgenders earn livelihood and respect

A group of Delhi University students is arranging professional training for over 20 transgender people to help make them financially independent.

A group of Delhi University students is arranging professional training for over 20 transgender people to help make them financially independent.

Two transgender people celebrate during a LGBT parade. A group of Delhi University students are arranging professional training courses for over 20 transgender people, with the goal of making them financially independent.(PTI Photo)

The group of students from Ramjas College have roped in experts to train members of the transgender community in jewellery making under a project called ‘Transcreation’.

“We contacted some NGOs who work with transgender community and started working with them. We want to empower the community and for that the first step is to make them financially independent,” said Rama Ravishankar, a student of Ramjas College who is working with the transgender community.

The students, part of a non-profit organization Enactus, have hired some designers from National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and other fashion and jewellery designing institutes to train the transgenders. “There are selected catalogues from which they learn the design. We have managed to get funds from various organizations which help us in paying for the training and raw material required for Transcreation,” Ravishankar said.

Currently, 22 people from the transgender community are being trained under the project. The Ramjas team said that they have tied up with retailers to sell the jewellery.

“We have tied up with many stores which sell the jewellery made by the transgenders. They are paid for every piece of jewellery they make. Each transgender person earns around Rs 5,000 per month. This gives them the much needed financial independence,” they said.

The students recently organised a campaign in which people were offered ‘Free Hugs’ by members of transgender community in Connaught Place. “People have misconceptions about the transgender community. We wanted to raise awareness about the community and make them feel welcome. We received a good response to our ‘Free Hugs’ event,” said one of the organisers.’