“Transgenders Community” – Employability through Skill Development

Transgender people have existed since ancient times. There had been very less focus on the Transgender Community until some years back. The majority of the people in this community are either illiterates or have very less education, because of which they are not able to get along with the main strata of the society. There various reasons for their being less educated which may be cited as poverty, exclusion from their own family and friends, mental health issues.

Since they are not given proper educational opportunities, which further results in not finding their livelihood and even for those who pursue their education with full of struggles they are not given the respect and value in the society as well as at workplace. Therefore, their self-esteem and self-confidence are always at a very lower level. In order to survive, sometimes they end up taking undesirable jobs. Sometimes, they are thrown out of their own homes and not accepted by their own families or they escape from their houses due to abusive relationships, because of which they don’t have a shelter or a place they can call home.

With an aim to lend a hand to this Transgender’s community and bring them into the mainstream of the society, we at “Sarthak – Ek Nai Soch” (Trust) started looking for Corporates who can help us with Grant to train the transgenders with some specific skill and behavioural skills so that they could be trained for being absorbed in employment in companies/workplaces.

We received Grant from a reputed company at Delhi for Transgender’s skilling. We started mobilising the transgenders. Around 75 transgenders were mobilised by us in a weeks’ time for skilling them in Housekeeping domain. A good location in South Delhi was identified where technical skill and behavioural skill training were imparted to them through an industry expert trainer from a reputed Hygiene Company. All the 75 participants’ training assessment was done post conclusion of the training sessions and were certified as “Trained Housekeeping Associate”.

Now we are in negotiation with corporates for extending their support to absorb them in their organization as “House-keeping Associate”. It was really an amazing opportunity and great experience to interact with transgenders during the training sessions. They are very similar like normal people but very sensitive. With a slight appreciation of their efforts, they feel too much of pride. Unlike us, they also have hunger for respect which surely, they deserve. Some of them shared their stories which was heart touching.

Some of them were desperate to find a job for their survival as they were afraid that they will not be able to continue longer with their families. Some of them shared ill behaviour of their family members towards them. Some were looking for shelter to live their ongoing lives. It is our endeavor to bring them out of their plight.

We are expecting more corporates to come forward to help us in our endeavor to bring this transgenders community to the mainstream of the society.