‘Helping anyone, anywhere’, a simple belief on which Phool Versha and NamMyoho Daan, Mumbai based NGOs were founded, stayed true to their core as the worst crisis in modern history emerged.

As COVID 19 broke out, India witnessed a nationwide lockdown at a 4-hour notice, that threw oppressed sections of society into further crisis. Medical practitioners were stretched beyond breaking point as the death toll mounted. There was a mass movement of urban migrant labor which was being talked about, there were the senior citizens who needed support and there were eco-systems being created to support them. However, amidst this unprecedented crisis, we forgot one community, those we couldn’t see. Those we hadn’t ever acknowledged as a culture, who were until the millennium not even counted in the country.

The Transgender community.

With little savings and social security, many were facing massive challenges to deal with depleting food supplies.

A discriminated, oppressed community forgotten in the pandemic.

Culturally, India has relegated the transgender community to a corner, with little acknowledgment of their existence. 99% have faced social rejection at least once, 96% denied jobs & 60% never attended schools. 52.61% earn less than $135/month. Most don’t have voter ID cards or Aadhaar cards (identification & citizenship proofs in India), which makes it tough for them to avail their constitutional rights & government schemes. Naturally such cultural apathy snowballs to lack of education, equal opportunity or socially accepted jobs.

For many, earnings aren’t systematic & several make ends meet by relying on occasions of cultural acceptance of their existence (like wishing people on weddings & childbirth), begging or sex work.

As the unplanned lockdown hit, the community that has willfully been eclipsed, was comfortably forgotten. Earning opportunities dwindled, and there was dire need for relief material. However more than 90% of transgender community didn’t have ration chard (a government ID card necessary to avail any food relief material). Thus, as a result of decades of social stigma leading to lack of registration, relief material was unable to reach them.

Phool Versha and NamMyoho Daan didn’t forget them, and stepped in.

While the need was to generate funds to contribute to expanding relief measures for the community, we decided to take this opportunity to have a larger, culturally relevant, deeper conversation. One that would result in a larger shift, than just a response to an ongoing crisis.

Decades of discrimination had sapped the community of dignity. Here was a chance to jolt people into seeing that.

Evoking people to unshackle decades of stigma, a realize a simple fact - that transgenders deserved respect, relief, and love, just as any person in the world does. Because like everyone else they are humans too. Like everyone else they are feeling the anxiety, their loneliness is multi-folded now as they have been even more isolated. Like everyone one else, they feel hungry too. Because like everyone else, they are humans too. The creative idea was a simple and powerful plea – “Count us in”

Phool Versha foundation in collaboration with NamMyoho Daan and Kinner, an NGO that is dedicated to support the transgender community, decided to help the Transgender community when no one else would.

As Indians moved from being self-involved during the lockdown, to active citizens wanting to help the thousands of migrant labourers and medical practitioners struggling to survive through the lockdown, we appealed to that growing empathy. Reaching out through Facebook and Instagram (with time being spent on the platforms increasing), to the privileged. Who could donate funds and material for the community. We appealed to them with this simple promise, reminding them of the community long eclipsed.

To drive attention and fuel the conversation, we contacted renowned personalities from various backgrounds to come together and contribute. Renowned film personalities, cricketers, businessmen started sharing the video on their social media channel, pushing people to contribute, volunteer more.

An idea like this needed authenticity. And we were true to it. Strung together by actual footage shot in the UK, we showcased real transgender people, and with that an appeal that did not ask for patronizing or sympathy. Just acknowledgment, recognition and respect.

Just when relief measures for other affected groups was picking up, we ensured our film gathered eyeballs, by being on the right social media platforms. Its organic shares added to its credibility, and a message sans dramatics helped keep its sanctity and simplicity alive.

The film received over 1.5 million shares and views and saw a growing organic conversation steadily. With activists picking up the thread, it caught the eye of some of the most influential names in Indian cinema, and activists from the community- that lent their voice and credibility to our thought.

But the real achievement was the hike in the funds raised. There was a 45% increase of funds, and with the growing awareness, the organization was able to approach unprivileged people from more states in India. The organization started getting calls from various small villages of India like Dholpur, Sangli, Bijnor, Dasna.

The organization helped 50,000 people (LGBTQ) all across India for a period of ten months and is still continuing to give support to this community, by donating meal kits for every month.

50,000 people who are invisible to the rest of the society are now being cared for.