Saksham means “able”. The project set out to help transgender and gender-diverse persons in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad earn a living, feel safer and speak up for their rights.

We began by mapping the community in each district and finding local leaders. Then the work moved along three lines:

Earning a living: regular meetings with 30 to 40 community members led to skill courses, support to start small businesses and internships with companies
Safer surroundings: sensitisation workshops for health workers and employers, and a Crisis Response Cell that recorded and responded to cases of violence and discrimination
Speaking up: an annual forum with more than 50 policymakers and experts, awareness events, and easy-to-read material on accessing healthcare without stigma

Every quarter, we trained second-line leaders in advocacy, crisis handling and running an organisation. Over the year, more than 50 people were trained, and two self-help groups were formed so that members could save together and support each other.

Surveys at the middle and end of the project showed better incomes, more people with legal ID documents, and stronger wellbeing among participants. The self-help group model from Saksham is something we continue to build on.