Sexual minorities in India are subject to discrimination at every stage of their lives. Their compromised access to food, education, healthcare and employment makes them disproportionately vulnerable to global pandemics like COVID 19. In the last few months, New Delhi’s transgender community has faced abject social misery - hunger, homelessness, illness - to name a few. Members of the trans community are also unable to avail the benefits of government relief due to prejudice or lack of gender compliant documentation.
In this period of distress, Pehchaan collaborators, the Community Empowerment Trust ⑴ actively engaged in relief activities, and continue to do so as consequent waves of the pandemic emerge. Their work ranged from supplying ration to those who needed it, covid supplies such as face masks, sanitisers, and even the most critical tasks of vaccination and covid testing.
Throughout their campaign, they have been able to reach over 1400 members of the transgender community and supplied them with over 21,600 kgs of ration, 4000 sanitations kits over 12 areas of Delhi. ⑵
Tackling the critical problems of Covid 19, the Community Empowerment Trust vaccinated over 200 members of the transgender community, who were unable to obtain vaccination from conventional sources due to hostility from workers and stigmatization. The CET has also been conducting regular RT PCR tests for trans folx who believe they have been exposed to the virus.
These are trying times for organisations like the CET. To volunteer your time, donate or get in touch with the Community Empowerment Trust, click here.
⑴ The Community Empowerment Trust started with a group of young changemakers 6 years ago. The team consists of social workers, architects, legal advisors, psychologists, and health care professionals from diverse gender identities. They are a registered organisation working in collaboration with the Government of New Delhi.
⑵ Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azad Pur, Badli, Wazirabad, Narela, Seelampur, Burari, Morigate, Ashok Vihar, Wazir Pur, Shadipur
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