Tamil Nadu: Two Transgender Persons Raise Funds To Help Community Members Amid COVID-19 Crisis

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Tamil Nadu: Two Transgender Persons Raise Funds To Help Community Members Amid COVID-19 Crisis

M Nila and Rashika Raj highlighted the fact that members of their community were unable to get adequate help, especially the ones in rural areas amid the current crisis, and hence it was crucial to lend a helping hand.

The deadly second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc in the country and has brought lives to a grinding halt especially for the marginalized communities.

To help their community members tide over the crisis, two transgender persons, a nurse and a graduate, started a crowdfunding initiative to pool resources. With the funds collected, they have been organising donation drives to provide essentials in Tamil Nadu's Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram districts.

M Nila, a B.Pharm graduate, is the founder of Pharm Foundation that works to empower the trans community by improving their education, employment, and healthcare opportunities. She reportedly raised ₹11 lakh through crowdfunding measures.

"I started a campaign on Milaap.org one week ago and raised over ₹11 lakh. This will be used to provide groceries worth ₹1,000 each for 1,000 transgender persons in Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram districts. Volunteers from our community will distribute the dry rations. I will be starting another campaign for procuring oxygen cylinders soon," Nila told The Hindu.

On the other hand, Rakshika Raj has been working as a nurse and been instrumental in fighting for the rights of her community.

She has been raising funds to help transgender persons and members of the indigenous and tribal communities inhabiting the two districts. Not just provide essentials, Rakshika has also launched an awareness campaign regarding the vaccination programme and busting the myths surrounding it for the less-educated.

"I will be supporting 800 families by providing groceries. I plan to raise ₹8 lakh," Rakshika said.

"In the city there are many who provide relief. So I wanted to focus on the districts," she added.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu: College Students Home Deliver Food To People Under Home Isolation In Erode

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