Malappuram: In an effort to bring transgender persons in the district together and encourage them to take up entrepreneurial ventures, the Malappuram district Kudumbashree Mission launched two exclusive units popularly called as Ayalkoottam (neighbourhood group).
The units named ‘Sahaja’ and ‘Thirunar’ comprising 10 members each were formed on Wednesday after several rounds of talks with the largely neglected community during the past several months. The names of the units were also selected by them. The Mission’s ambition is to help them earn social acceptance by bringing the community closer to more than four lakh women members of Kudumbashree across the district, says it’s District Coordinator C.K. Hemalatha.
“If Kudumbashree members accept transgenders by working together, the gap between the sexual minority and society can be bridged to a great extent. Women’s acceptance can bring a huge change in society,” Hemalatha said. According to Tirur- based Karma, a collective of the transgender community in the district, there are around 500 transgenders in Malappuram. “We will encourage all of them to join Kudumbashree activities to enhance their life. The formation of Sahaja and Thirunar Ayalkoottams is the first step toward that goal,” she said.
The mission plans to provide awareness and skill training to equip them to launch their own ventures like all other Ayalkoottams. Both the units are based at the headquarters of Kudumbashree in Malappuram since the transgender community is scattered across several places.
Though Kudumbashree could attract around 50 transgenders from various parts of the district, only 21 people turned out to form the unit. “Most of them prefer to stay away from media glare pointing out that it may affect their family life. A majority of those who turned out have been abandoned by their families. We would concentrate on these groups by providing them skill training, facilities for higher education and an income source to attract the rest of the community,” she said.
