29-year-old provides essential kits to transgenders

Twenty-nine-year-old media professional Ankita Wagle was so affected by an article that she read last month about the plight of transgenders, that she decided to

Twenty-nine-year-old media professional Ankita Wagle was so affected by an article that she read last month about the plight of transgenders, that she decided to do something for the community.

Ankita Wagle has launched an initiative, Identify - the world for transgender, to continue working with the community after the lockdown. (HT)

What followed next were calls to friends who work with non-government organisations (NGOs) and in the media to know if she could help the community amid these uncertain times.

She came across Bandra resident Zoya Lobo, who works as a freelance photographer. Through Lobo, Wagle reached out to 25 transgenders in Mahim and 100 more in Ulhasnagar, and has been providing them with essentials and other help, with assistance from Lobo.

“With the help of family and friends, we raised around ₹ 75,000, with which we bought essential kits, consisting of rice, dal, flour, oil, spices, masks and sanitiser for the community members,” said Wagle, a Borivli resident.

Lobo said the kit provided by Wagle can be utilised for a month. “Many in our community have been affected owing to the lockdown, as most of them either beg on trains, signals or are sex workers,” said Lobo.

To continue working for the community even after the lockdown ends, Wagle also started an initiative, ‘Identify- the world for transgender’, through which she aims to help transgenders seek employment in the future.

With Identify, we aim to make the younger generation understand our problems and hope to be accepted as part of society,” said Lobo.

“This is one community which has been ignored largely by society. Through social media, I am trying to tell their stories to the world, so that I can help them live a dignified life,” Wagle said.

Wagle has also documented the story of Vidya Sagar, a lavani dancer and member of the community.