A city that is home to many welfare projects for the empowerment of marginalised people is yet to live up to the expectations of its transgender persons who are struggling to find a source of sustainable income. Lacking financial support and guidance, self-employment projects launched earlier focusing on food and garment-based ventures are no longer an attraction for them.
There are highly-skilled middle-aged persons in the community who have completed over 10 short-term courses with an intention to set up their own ventures. They say that no government sector bank or financial institution is ready to simplifying the existing loan sanctioning procedures for them.
“Government figures show that there are about 350 transgender persons in Kozhikode district. Amidst this pandemic situation, we are badly in need of financial aid to start our own ventures. Will it become a reality if banks continue to insist on collateral security?” asks Cicily George, a transgender activist in Kozhikode city. She adds that there are many who run pillar to post for getting a small rented facility for business purposes.
Though there are many trained transgender persons in the field of fashion technology, beauty care, spa management, food processing and horticulture-related activities, no one is able to find a job. Now, the only hope for them is the plan of the district administration to host a job fest for such trained persons.
“I was very passionate about taking up hotel business, but landlords were hesitant to trust people like us. When I approached the Women’s Development Corporation for a loan to mobilise some capital, they too asked for collateral security documents,” says a middle-aged transgender person who is now engaged in the small-scale production and distribution of curry powders for a living. She reveals that there were even occasions when she struggled to purchase grinding machines for the small business.
At the same time, there are enterprising persons like Nagma Susmi who managed to set up a dairy farm at Naduvannur along with other four friends sourcing the financial support of the Kudumbashree Mission. They took up the project as the amount was sanctioned as a grant. “Our farm is now a successful unit. We had been given ₹2.5 lakh as one-time assistance,” says Ms. Susmi. She adds that such supportive schemes would help the transgender community stand on its own feet.
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