Gauri Sawant Raising Funds To Shelter Sex Workers' Kids

Gauri Sawant's story of motherhood went viral after a Vicks ad showed how she adopted a young girl as a transgender woman. Now Sawant is breaking boundaries again with her plans to raise funds to build a home for the kids of sex workers. She has partnered with crowdfunding website, Milaap, to raise funds for the kids. She will use her own patch of land to build the home.

So far, the campaign has raised over Rs 8 lakh, and the goal is to raise Rs 20 lakh. She will name the home Nani Ka Ghar, saying that a child's fondest memories are always of the times they spent at their grandparents' home.

Gauri promotes safe sex and runs an NGO called Sakhi Char Chowghi Trust which promotes safe sex and provides counselling to transgender people from Mumbai. She is also the petitioner of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) judgment that was passed in 2013.

We went to her house to talk to her about her journey and what it is like being her daughter Gayatri’s mother. While working at an NGO, Gauri came across her daughter, Gayatri. Gayatri had been orphaned in 2001, when her mother, who was a sex worker, died of HIV. Gayatri is now studying to be a doctor and lives in a hostel.

Gauri’s inspiring story came to the forefront when Vicks portrayed her journey with Gayatri in an ad which -- since its release -- has been watched more than 9 million times.

Let’s hope Gauri can fulfil her dream and give these children a loving environment in which to thrive.

Also Watch: Vicks Ad’s Mother Gauri Sawant Redefines What It Means to be a Transgender Mom