This workshop is helping desperate transgender youth become proud young leaders.

From fear and dejection to confidence and hope, these young transgender women walked out with pride of who they are.

April 25th, 2019. Sahodari Foundation and Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity began a major step in reaching out to desperate and deserving young transgender people and offering them a very useful and powerful youth leadership workshop, which will empower their lives.

This workshop was conceived by Transgender rights activist, artist, and inspiring speaker Kalki Subramaniam to identify and groom young transgender persons in India to pursue their dreams of living with dignity and happiness, a life away from the melancholy of begging and sex work.

Her idea came to a reality when she was invited to speak at Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity for speaking at their weekly meeting to its board members where she met Rotarian Suji Somasudaram of Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity who introduced her to the president of the club Rtn.Phf. Senthil Kumar. K, secretary and Rtn. MD.Vijayakumar.S. Kalki’s idea of a leadership workshop was immediately accepted, as the club had the idea of conducting a RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) for transgender youth. Both ideas were similar; the names were just different.

It became a reality in a week, thanks to the Rotary Club, which supported 70% of the costs for conducting this event. The Sahodari Foundation funded the remaining 30%.

After quite a successful outreach, all 20 seats were registered in a week. Participants came from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and places as far as Chennai and Kannur. Kalki conceptualised the program, and each segment, its activity, and the invited speakers were carefully selected to give only the best knowledge and positive messages that will have a deep impact on the young trans people. Kalki aimed to change their mindsets from desperation and fear to hope and confidence. Though she has offered several workshops for the transgender community, this was the first time a full-fledged leadership workshop was initiated.

Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity was open and welcoming in conducting a RYLA for TransYouth. On April 25th, 2019, at 9.30 a.m., the workshop was inaugurated with Rtn. K.A. Kuriachan as the chief guest of the event. The president of the Club, the secretary, and the board members were present during the inauguration. Mr.kuriachan told the importance of equality, unity, strength and believing in yourself, he guided transgenders towards confidence, self love and being strong. Special invitees A. Revathi and Olga Aaron were presiding over the event. All the participants were excited for the day. Later, the Rotarians of the club left, wishing the participants the best.

The workshop started with Kalki’s speech on its purpose and how it is meant to help, support, and empower participants’ lives. Though a one-day workshop, she wanted to utilise every moment to its utmost potential. She requested that participants be conscious of time and give their focus 100 percent.

With self-introductions of everyone and moving on to two groups, the young persons were grouped in fours and were assigned to senior transgender leaders to trust and open their hearts to speak out about their major personal hurdles and seek out advice from them. The mentorship started with trust building, experience sharing, and non-judgmental, genuine advice seeking.

The participants present were seated in a circle. They were encouraged to speak about their life backgrounds, giving us a picture of how each one needed help, support, and guidance in shaping their future.

Everyone in the room hugged each other to know that they were not alone and promoted unity in the trans community. The guest speaker of the afternoon’s first session, Mr. Ramesh, taught the participants on the art of living with a clean mental and physical state through yoga and meditation practices. This session was designed to be a part of powerful human change through discipline and yoga practices for better and conscious living.

Transgender activist, writer, and theatre personality A. Revathi narrated her painful yet inspiring life story and the oddities she faced, and how it made her weak, and facing it with courage made her strong and a leader among the community. The next session was followed by Mr.Arun Balakirishna bringing the participants great fun and laughter with some amusing brain and physical games, which made the participants bend their bodies and minds.

Art curator and administrator of Art Houz, Bridget Shibu Thomas of Jennys Club of Coimbatore, gave a powerful talk about being non-judgmental about one’s own creativity. She listed why self-criticism is useless and he power of practice brings perfection.

Transgender activist, artist, and entrepreneur Kalki Subramaniam was constantly motivating the participants, encouraging them to speak out, address their issues, and inspiring them to not think of themselves as victims of circumstances anymore but to be strong and change and design their own destinies with the right decisions and how to take that right decision.

The last session of the day was conducted by transgender youth and upcoming artist V. Kanchana. She asked the participants to dream about their ideas of themselves in five years. They were encouraged to visualise their life and dreams. Some of them want to be a mother, a model, a dancer, a winner, a leader, and just like they all have their own ideas of love and life, they can be a human resource in society.

At the conclusion of the workshop, Ms. Olga Aaron shared her speech about how it is important for transgender persons to understand their rights and duties and to have dignity. She spoke about the importance of law in society and creating a secure place for trans people in workplaces, including the private and government sectors. She talked about the human rights and constitutional violations against transgender community that have been in practice since the history of the transgender community.

Participating in this workshop is a big step towards a good and healthy life they wish for, they take courage, hope and leadership skills with them. Ms. Kalki Subramaniam, Mr. Kurianchan, and Ms. Olga invited the participants and offered them certificates to recognise their participation in the workshop.

That evening they left with pride and lots of friendships to nourish and cherish their lives a very very long time. Bondings and inspirations that will inspire and uplift their lives.

Sahodari Foundation will reach out to more and more trans youth and support them through a series of these workshops in the future.

Report: Kalki Subramaniam With inputs from Chinasha Notiya