India gasps for breath amid the tragic Covid-19 second wave. But where there’s despair, there’s hope too, uniting in various colours and shades. Home cooks from across the country gather to provide free meals to Covid patients. NGOs started fundraisers to equip hospitals and homes of patients with free oxygen concentrators and other medical supplies. And now, to bring another ray of hope to your day, transwomen in Chennai gathered to provide free food to the needy. Trans Community Kitchen run by 12 transwomen delivers free or affordable food to the homeless, migrant workers, ambulance drivers, policemen on duty and more.
Chennai’s Trans Community Kitchen Provide Free Food To Needy
Trans Community Kitchen came into being during the first lockdown in 2020, thanks to the efforts of Srijith, Aruvi, Anish, and Sharan Karthik. Srijith stated to The New Indian Express, that they came across few homeless people who were massively hit by the lockdown. They struggled for even a glass of water, and that’s when they decided to kick off the Trans Community Kitchen with the support of the LGBTQ community on April 25. Out of the 12-member team, 6 of them work in Porur and the rest operate the initiative at Tsunami Quarters, Eranvur.
Also Read: Food On Wheels: Chennai College Students Make Food & Deliver It To Isolated Covid Patients
Healthy Meals Cooked In A Hygienic Manner
The dedicated trans community start their day at 4:30 am and end it at 9 pm. They take turns delivering the food in their scooters. And after returning, they take a shower, don fresh protective gear and get back to cooking. The menu includes a healthy fare like rava khichdi, vegetable biryani, roti with sabzi and sambhar rice. The meals are served with a water bottle. Apart from delivering free food, the team also provides face masks and other provisions. The dedicated transwomen of Chennai cook for around 400 people per meal.
Also Read: Order Homely Food From These Tiffin Service Providers In Chennai For Covid Patients & Caregivers
Transwomen Work Hard For The Underprivileged Despite Facing Challenges
Despite losing their jobs amid the pandemic, being denied equal opportunities, the trans community continue to help those who suffer the same fate. Soundarya informed The New Indian Express, that they know what it feels like to be deprived of something. So no one can empathise better with the needy than the trans community. The Covid warriors include 12 dedicated transwomen, Maya, Bobby, Priya Ezhumalai, Shankari, Sowmiya, Sowndharya Gopi, Rupakala Vedachalam, Ramya, Mageshwari Elumalai, Preethi Ganapathi and Sandhiya. And you too can support these marvellous transwomen by contributing to their cause. You can do this by first sending an email to transcommunitykitchen@ gmail.com Meanwhile, have you heard of Mumbai’s Third Eye Cafe run by transgender employees? Well, watch this video to know more.
