Transgenders to get aid for self-employment

Scheme gives on-job training in catering, event management

Transgenders are slowly making their presence felt across sectors, but for most of them finding employment continues to be a struggle. To improve their employability and bring them to the mainstream, the District Kudumbasree Mission and the district panchayat have rolled out a scheme, Samanwayam, which will provide them financial aid for self-employment.

As part of Samanwayam, the district mission plans to give on-job training in event management and catering to transgenders.

‘Five transgenders from Kizhuvilam, Vilappil, and Karavaram panchayats have been identified as beneficiaries.

After basic training last month, they are setting up a catering unit based at Manacaud. They will be provided ₹5 lakh as part of the 2017-18 project.

Allotment of ₹5 lakh

For 2018-19, 10 more beneficiaries have been identified, and they too would be sanctioned ₹5 lakh. After the week-long on-job training provided by an empanelled agency of the Kudumbasree Mission at Cafe Kudumbasree at the MLA Hostel here, the catering unit would be ready to start operations, District Kudumbasree Mission Project Coordinator K.R. Shaiju said.

The on-job training includes hospitality management, hygiene, and etiquette.

Of the funds sanctioned, ₹4.5 lakh will be used to purchase pandal, chairs, tables, and utensils and cutlery for renting out by the event management unit.

Equipment for the catering unit will also be purchased from it, while ₹50,000 will be used for renting the building for starting the units. The plan is to entrust functions of the district panchayat and the Kudumbasree Mission to the unit.

The catering unit has been set up by Renjini Pillai, Apoorva, Maya Biju, Niya, and Asma.

Samanwayam will be inaugurated by Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan at 11 a.m. on August 15.