Food, Shelter, Education Free For Kerala Transgender Students

There is good news for the transgender community in Kerala. The state government is gearing up to start 'shelter homes' for those who join its special literacy program. The government has introduced schemes with an objective to bring the transgender community to the mainstream.

Following the launch, Health Minister K K Shylaja on Thursday urged the community to make full use of the Literacy Mission’s ‘Samanwaya’ free continuing education scheme.

The state government’s decision will go a long way in providing basic education, free accommodation, food and shelter for the transgender community and will cater to thousands of transgender people in the state,

Even though Kerala became the first state to unveil a 'transgender policy' to end social stigma towards them, in reality they find it difficult even to get decent accommodation

As the transgender group struggles to fit into society, an exclusive continuing education program for them designed by the state literacy mission could only safeguard their future. At shelter homes, they will avail basic facilities till the completion of the course.

Also Read: 21-Year-Old Helps Create Separate Washrooms For Transgender People

P.S. Sreekala, director, state literacy mission, lauded the programme. In the initial stage, shelter homes will be provided in four districts—Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha. "Accommodation is still a major cause of worry for transgenders in our state. They are denied admission in hostels or pushed out of rented houses only because they belong to a third gender," Sreekala told PTI.

"Accommodation is a major cause of worry as they are denied admission in hostels or pushed out of rented houses only because they belong to a third gender," said Sreekala

According to her, the Mission conducted a state-wide survey recently before launching Samanwaya to know the gravity of this situation. "Around 67.14 per cent of the persons surveyed were keen to enroll in the continuing education drive. But a majority of them could not join the programme as they failed to find out accommodation facilities to pursue the course," she said.

Read Also: Kerala Govt Plans Education Program For Transgender Community

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