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Pune holds its first trans entrepreneur mela
PUNE For Noor, this is her first time in Pune and her stall at the first trans and hijra empowerment mela at Kamayani (Munot) Hall, Patrakar nagar
PUNE For Noor, this is her first time in Pune and her stall at the first trans and hijra empowerment mela at Kamayani (Munot) Hall, Patrakar nagar. Her designed Batik women’s wear and sarees are flying off the counter. Noor hails from Indore and is one of the transwomen who launched her label ‘Noor’ online.
Priyanka has come from Malda in West Bengal with her handmade jute products. It has taken her three years to set up her business, started with the help of self-help groups and mentorship from Anam Prem.
Anam Prem, a platform set up by volunteers to help trans and hijras showcase their skills, talents, capabilities and identities, organised its first empowerment mela in Pune.
Ritesh from Mumbai started his pret a porter (ready to wear) line called Ridem as he believes in unisex clothing. “I love making clothes and always felt why can’t clothes also be unisex instead of being labelled as for men or for women. Hence, my designs do not define any category and everyone can wear them. Cocoon helped me set up my own website from where I can sell and also consult,” he said.
“Each of these women/men have been trained at a special workshop held on April 8, 2022 at DY Patil International University, Akurdi, called the Cocoon (Connect, Collaborate and Network), a first-of-its-kind platform to network, organise, collaborate, facilitate, provide linkages, and create a support tribe of trans entrepreneurs and diverse collaborators,” said Krupali Bidaye, volunteer, Anam Prem.
“The platform aims to connect trans entrepreneurs to a pool of facilitators from various fields, aiming to provide impetus to trans entrepreneurship and livelihoods leading to greater inclusion and acceptance. The Cocoon mentor-mentee meet-up and workshop is facilitated,” she said.
Nitin Karmalkar, vice-chancellor, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and Ajay Charthankar, deputy commissioner, social welfare, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) inaugurated the mela.
“This mela is relevant and we try to sensitise students about such initiatives and the need for such a platform. Infact, we are looking at starting entrepreneurial certificate courses through the university which can further help them and these courses will be inclusive so as to not discriminate them but look at wholesome education,” said Karmalkar.
Charthankar appreciated the delicacies served by Nigar Sheikh and Nikita who had set up food stalls showing their culinary and entrepreneurial skills.
He said, “It is important to make them part of the society and we will be setting up skilling programmes for 100 transgenders in PCMC in May.”
