For children of of the slum of Karunanidhi nagar in Numgambakkam Chennai, it was a day of great joy and playfulness. Team Sahodari gifted all kinds of toys to the poor children of this slum. It is a gesture to show our kindness on World Kindness Day and Children's Day.
Children don't discriminate. They are pure and innocent. This is our gift to make them happy, creating bonds of friendship and love. Though physically we can never mother a child, We love children, we care for them, for many of us transwomen, our neighbourhood children are some of our best friends. Some of my neighbourhood children also got toys and they were totally in bliss:)
Students from Madras Christian College and Ethiraj College volunteered to help us to distribute and be a part of the event. This was an unforgettable day in my life. Thanks Team Sahodari's Monal, Selvi, Arthi, Sindhu, Priyanka and Komal.
Special thanks and gratitude to Arvind Hariharan, Jayakrishnan, Balaji, Gowtham, Shree, Nandhini, and Mr.Patel who donated so many toys for children. Thanks to Bryan from American consulate, Chennai who donated us picture books.
A child's smile is one of life's greatest blessing. November 13th is World Kindness Day. November 14th Indian Children's day. Sahodari's team along with our supporters and volunteers will spend these two days with underprivileged slum children of Chennai. We will be gifting them what they want but could not afford - toys and teddys. We all know God is in the joy and happiness of children.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see" said Mark Twain. Let us make these children smile. Come join with us. Get involved.
Here is how you can get involved:
1. Buy new toys and teddys and bring it
2. Collect used toys and teddys in good condition, clean them and bring them
3. You can gift picture books/comic books
4. You can gift sports goods meant for children
5. You can also gift them with new clothes
No Nos:
1.Do not bring toys that might have toxins
2.Please do not bring food items for children
5th November 2009. Today is an important day for me because today I got the government recognised identity cards from Tamilnadu Social Welfare Board. This call will solve many of our problems not only regarding name change and documentation but also in accessing services of the government in future.
Here I am with an excited smile and confidence holding the card. Thank you Dr.Kalaignar, Thank you government of Tamilnadu.
Five students of Madras School of Social Work wanted to work on health issues for a project for their post graduation studies in Social Work. They approached me with a plan to conduct a campaign on health issues of transgenders. Called SHE - Survival Health Empowerment, the campaign is totally for poor transgender women. They wanted to do something good, something worth for the community. It is so good to see that there are many people from student community who are supportive and understanding of transgender issues. The SHE campaign was not only about conducting a health campaign but also had a community talk show of students and me, a bike rally to show students' solidarity and support to transgenders and a panchayat like discussion of students and professors of MSSW and transwomen from Sahodari.
In the first of event of the campaign, the students want to conduct the health check up and consultation campaign in one place and invite transpeople to come and have free consultation and medicine. I know, it won't work this way. I had another plan.
As a community person and as someone who has been living, interactng and growing up(still!) with transgender people, I know the difficulties of transpeople in accessing this kind of service. Though it was free, they will not show interest and take effort to go and get the service. The best way is to approach them and provide them the service in PLACES WHERE THEY LIVE. I asked the students to arrange for a mobile-clinic kind of set up. They agreed.
Now just a health check up won't be the right thing. Many transgender women use tobacco and alcohol for temporary relief from depression. Many people have been using these for years. Image the condition of the body after years of alcohol and tobacco abuse. This health campaign I want it to be a detoxification campaign. Next, I contacted doctor Meenakshi sundaram, an accupuncturist (through orkut we became friends)and asked him if he can provide free check up and consultation service for the community. He agreed. Only the medicines (ayurveda) need to be bought and the MSSW students arranged for the fund for medicines. Meenakshi bought the medicines with the money.
On the 11th October, we conducted this campaign. Who were there in the mobile campaign? I, Doctor Meenakshi, the five students from MMSW and the driver of the van ofcourse. First, the mobile clinic came to Saidapet and almost 15 transpeople accessed the service. Next, we went to Numgambakkam area and another 30 people accessed the service. Motivating them to take advantage of this service is a challenge. We succeeded as a group. Later that afternoon, I was interviewed by students of M.O.P Vaishnav college, Chennai on transgender women's problems and solutions. The next day, four girls from Sahodari's advocacy team - Thenmozhi, Sowmiya, Gomathi and Makkali participated and spoke in a panchayat-like discussion event organized by the students at MSSW. They not only spoke well and changed people's attitude towards transpeople, but also they had made many friends there. The same afternoon the MSSW students organized a bike rally which was flaged by film director Vishnuvardhan. It was a success.
The campaign was a success, only we didn't have enough time to provide this service to more people as it is a one day campaign. The doctor was genuinely caring and spending much time with each of the patients. He also gave them ayurvedic medicines and gave instructions to detoxify their bodies for better living. Next month, there is a follow up of the program. Let us see how many of the women have been benifiting from this free service. Thanks to the students of MSSW and Doctor Meenakshi Sundaram. We need more people like you:)
I hadn't written about the film 'Ninithaale Inikkum' only because that will add to the film's publicity in someways. Now that the film is almost out of the theatres, I can raise the issue of how it insults and discriminates transgender people in the name of cheap comedy. I saw this film only to observe how stupid the director could be and how ignorant and heartless the actors who did the scenes are.
Film directors like Bala, Maniratnam and Mishkin observe and understand the struggles of socially under privileged people. Their film are the proof. Some people like GNR Kumaravelan only have technical skills, imagination and nothing beyond that. That is the reason people like him continue to exploit TG women in the name of cheap comedy entertainment. The director of this film GNR Kumaravelan looks like an educated man, but unfortunately he isn't civilzed. That shows up in his perverted. His future in the film industry is simply doomed. That is a prediction and a curse from the wounded tigresses here.
A straightly copied comedy scene from an early 90's Tamil film is used here to tickle people. The fact is, this comedy scene didn't amuse people. It degrades, discriminates, insults, offends and upsets the Thirunangai women.
This is what the scene is:
The two heroes and their sidekick go to a movie theatre. Each of them happen to sit next to beautiful girls. In a few minutes, these girls touch them, caress them and seduce them. The boys are seduced and begin to flirt with the girls. One guy sleeps on the lap of a tg girl. At one point of time, one of them finds out that all the three girls are 'not true women'. They are hijras/aravaanis/thirunan gais/transsexuals. They run out of the theatre and outside in the corridors, they all laugh of having escaped from the hijras. The hero says, 'Didn't you get a better place to sleep? Come on, I will take you to a place where you will lose your sleep'. And then, all of them go to a caberet place where 'real women' gyrate their hips, show their voluptous 'original' breasts and bodies.
What comes as a blow in this movie is, how they had used real transgender girls to degrade and mock transgenders. These three girls who have acted in the movie are real transgender women from Chennai. They had been approached and lured by the director's assistants for 'acting with Prithviraj'. They were paid Rs.1500 for a day's work. Only after entering the set, they have been told the scene. None of them liked it, but did not have the guts to say 'no' and protest against such insulting portrayal. They had to act and they did. They thought it is a light comedy. The director had not explained in detail to them.
After the release when the girls saw the film, they were shocked, They regreted having acted in this film. While many of us activists do advise transpeople to beware of such film people and portrayal in films, it is not always possible to stop the transgenders being exploited. A few thousand rupees and they are ready to be stripped down, thrown stones, laughed at to do anything because.. BECAUSE THEY ARE POOR AND NEED MONEY.
During the shooting, actor Prithviraj had passed lewd comments and laughed at them. One of the tg girls retorted back loudly and indirectly on his 'lost charm' and 'diminishing looks' and how there are thousands of talented and good looking men who deserve to be heroes. This had made the hero shut his mouth.
The only solution to stop this mess is to advice the censor board not to allow such degrading scenes in films. Even the censor board members need sensitization. Few activists from Sahodari, Sangama and other organizations have come together. We will apprach the board in the next few days.
Now, what should Sun pictures do? They should not allow such scenes in their films anymore. Television channels should not run this type of comedy on their channels. Newspapers should condemn such scenes. The rights activists should express their displeasure about such scenes and take action. How about slapping the director of this film? What would you suggest?
She is the darling of the Thirunangai people of Tamilnadu. Poet, Social activist, Poliician and Member of Parliament Kanimozhi is an adorable lady. I have met her twice at her office and once in the fasting conducted by us for the issue of Srilankan Tamils. She is one politician who has understood our lives and knows how we have been discriminated by the mainstream society for centuries.
She is a down-to-earth person with immense care and compassion for the socially under privileged people, and yes transgender people too. During one of our meet in the office, she expressed how women are put down in Tamil cinema. She is a strong believer in gender equality and has the essential qualities of a great leader.
She has been very instrumental in the formation of the transgender welfare board in Tamilnadu. Recently, she spoke in the parliament for the Indian transgender people's recognition in the society and our welfare. Infact she was the first MP in the country to speak in detail about our invisible and socially and economically marginalised position in the society. She is a boon to us. Eventhough I don't meet her very often due to her busy schedules, appointments and loads of work, I never forget to drop in at her office. Point blank: I cherish her, I love her.
Sahodari girls will be joining in the 'One walk, One hope' an event organisd by Canstop and Carcer Care India to create awareness about breast cancer. It is to support women who have been affected by breast cancer. The event is scheduled to happen on Sunday October 4th evening at 4 pm. The walk will be from Statue of Labour to Gandhi Statue in Marina beach, Chennai.
We believe, we must support the people who have been affected by breast cancer. Though there are no studies about breast cancer among transsexual women, many women among our friends and relatives have been affected by it. It is an important event for an important cause. We join the walk to show our solidarity and support. All our girls will be wearing pink that day.
Our girls participated in the Duchess Show exhibition (at Rani Meiyammai hall) organised by the Duchess Club.We were in the NGO section. Though the NGO section did not have many visitors, we did make some profit in the 2 days exhibition sale. Some prominent people bought the custom made original bead work of Thenmozhi and Monal and these girls were in cloud Nine. It was a joy to see their faces when something, which they created, is liked and bought by people.
Thanks to Reshma Sharma who had helped us to get this stall. Thanks to Nina Reddy who provided us this stall free of cost, thanks to Dr.Prithika Chakravarthy and Sujatha who recommended us. Thanks to SS Shasun Jain college and Sekar of SWAM.
Our girls are learning. Business is not an easy thing.We are going slow but we are steady:)
In July, when Professor Malathi and her students from SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) Club of SSS Shasun Jain College for Women approached me with the proposal for an entrepreneurship training programme for poor transgender women, I immediately accepted the proposal for our girls.
The next day, I went to the college with some of our team and met the Professor, Principal and students. The Principal Devaki Krishnakumar was an amazing women who genuinely wanted to help us. They explained to me about offering a training programme in Fashion Jewellery Making for transgenders. It was indeed a great chance and I didn't want our girls to miss this empwerment training programme which can change their economic status.
But motivating them to join in this programme was a big challege for me. They believed that such programmes and all the ones which had been offered before by different organisations, had made no big change in transgender people's lives. 'Begging is our destiny' said one of our girls.
However, girls Monal and Thenmozhi were interested from day one. Priya and Sandhiya too took the programme seriously. We wanted to form a 10 girls group but only 8 participated. Professor Malathi, Faculty advisor Nithya, Students Abi and Priya spent hours with us even after their college time was over. Their friendliness and dedication inspired and motivated all our girls to take the programme seriously.
The training started from 2 in the afternoon and finished at 5 in the evening. It was a 10 days training and we had our master Ayyappan who was an expert in fashion jewellery. Abi, was an expert not only in the jewellery but also in beautiful bead work. She relentlessly taught our girls forgetting time.
The group had learned to make necklaces, ear droppings, studs, bracelets, long chains and bangles. They were now confident enough to make a sale! I had a meeting with Principal Devaki Ma'm, Professor Malathi, and Faculty Advisor Nithya. We decided to meet the Commissioner of Women's Welfare Board Shrimathi Ramathal and The Commissioner of the Directorate of Social welfare, Shrimathi MP Nirmala IAS. We got appointments from them and met the ladies. They were warm and absolutely happy about our training programme. They encouraged us.
The Commissioner of the Directorate of Social Welfare had asked us to submit a project proposal for starting a business enterprise. She promised us that she will help and promote the project. Our group is a small one, but the training and the outcome of it will change the lives and make them ecomonically empowered. This will inspire other transgenders.
Three days ago, I met the Commissioner and submitted the proposal to her. She immediately directed her staff to take action. I strongly believe, the project will be sanctioned. But even before that, our good friend and well wisher Reshma Sharma had got us a free stall space in a Duchess Club exhibition in Rani Meiyammai hall, Chennai. With a loan of Rs.10,000, our girls will work and make 100 pieces of their creative fashion jewellery and display it for sale at the exhibition. Tomorrow, I, Monal and Thenmozhi will go and buy the raw materials.
19th and 20th September 09, our first sale! If you happen to be in Chennai, please visit our stall in Rani Meiyammai Hall, Chennai.
We have named our jewellery range as 'Butterflies'. Yes, Butterflies out of cocoon! Celebrating colours, celebrating life!
