Help Dr Giri build a shelter home for the transgender community. Donate now

When Shaunaq (name changed), an HIV-positive transgender male, went to Gujarat from Kolkata in search of livelihood, he didn’t realise how badly his body would react if he missed out on the crucial antiretroviral therapy (ART). When representatives of Kolkata Rista met him, Shaunaq was in a bad shape with rashes all over his body, and a deteriorated physical and mental condition. 

Kolkata Rista took charge immediately. It coordinated with the government departments and ensured that Shaunaq got the right treatment including the restoration of the ART. But for Kolkata Rista, Shaunaq may never have recovered.

“We face discrimination, stigma, and violence at almost every stage of our lives. As transgender people lack employment avenues, they are forced to take to begging and sex work, and the latter could often lead to HIV. It is our duty to ensure that we nurse the people back to good health,” says Dr Santosh Giri, Director, Kolkata Rista.

The organisation runs a shelter home where it not only provides shelter to transgender persons in desperate need of mental and physical health. It also trains people to get gainful employment through various vocational courses. As the number of people seeking help increases, Kolkata Rista is in need of funds to open another shelter home.

Kolkata Rista’s stellar work

Kolkata Rista is a transgender community-based organization (CBO) that has, for around 20 years, been working with various subgroups of the broader LGBTQI+ community, in states such as West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

What makes Kolkata Rista unique is that it is run by members of the LGBTQIA+ community. All its programmes are launched keeping the experience of its own members in mind and the realities on the ground. Dr Giri’s appeal

“With your contribution, we can have another shelter home and we can reach out to more transgender people with mental and health issues and help them realise their dreams,” says Dr Giri.

We can all pitch in and help Dr Giri and Kolkata Rista in its mission to provide a better life for the transgender community in Kolkata and around the country.

Aims of the project:

• Pressure-free environment for transgender
• Help in rehabilitating the members of the transgender community
• Vocational training for gainful employment
• Motivate the community to cope with day-to-day problems.  
• Rescue the community from the difficult health situations