A Trans Activist, Abhina Needs Help To Bring Back The Smiles Of Thousands From The Trans Community

44 YO Abhina is a firebrand who has been working for the welfare of the trans community for the last 26 years. She has been mobilising them and making them aware of their basic civil rights like education, health, employment, and education. Her NGO TWEET (Transgender Welfare Equity and Empowerment Trust) Foundation, has been instrumental in providing support and rehabilitation for the trans community. To this day, they are facing discrimination not only from society at large but their own. Getting a job is a herculean task for them and as a result, they have to suffer in silence and lead a life of obscurity. 

My mother accepted my reality after 6 long years but many are not that lucky 

“Dance has been my way to express myself. In times when there was no one for me, I had my dance. It has not only helped me understand myself better but also support many more like me who have been waiting all their life for a little love, respect, and recognition,” - Abhina Aher, Founder, Dancing Queens. 

Dancing Queens is India’s first transgender dance troupe and they have been actively involved in spreading awareness about the LGBTQIA community via various forms of folk dance like Lavni or even Bollywood numbers and storytelling. Abhina had grown up seeing her mother perform on stage and had always wanted to be a dancer. But life had other plans.

“I was almost 20 when I knew that I am a woman in a man’s body. I wanted to wear sarees and make-up. But that didn’t mean that society accepted me. There were many hurdles on way, some left life-long scars but finally I was able to undergo transition procedure.”

She had to take up s*x work and her mother didn’t speak to her for 6 years. But finally, she came around. Abhina knows that this is not the case for so many from her community. They’re forced to take up s*x work or beg on the roads. TWEET has been working tirelessly since 2017 to give s*xual minorities a voice and a platform. 

“Abhina has been a pioneer in starting a dialogue about transmen and their challenges. She has given us the platform, introduced us to opportunities, and let us tell our stories to the world, in the way we want. It makes a difference to be recognised and seen. Empowering the marginalised is an essential step towards a better, more equal world,” - Shaman Gupta, Co-Chair, TWEET. 

How can you support their cause? 

TWEET has set up a Garima Greh in Mumbai which offers an excellent holistic and safe space for the transgender community and provides young trans people with aspirations to grow and excel in life. It aims to make them financially independent and give them a life of respect.

Along with this, TWEET also works with thousands of transgenders in Mumbai and has been a source of great support to them during the pandemic. They have been distributing them dry rations, etc, and helping them through this tough time. Now, they need your help. The pandemic has been especially hard for the trans community who had absolutely no income for even two square meals a day. At a time when everyone was advised to stay home, they were forced to take to the streets to beg for the bare minimum. TWEET wants to ensure that they don’t go through the same again. 

“You can support us by donating groceries and hygiene kits for thousands of trans people in need. It will meet their basic needs and help them focus on other issues plaguing their lives. Even a small contribution will go a long way.” 

About the NGO: Founded by Abhina Aher in 2017,TWEET (Transgender Welfare Equity and Empowerment Trust) Foundation, has been instrumental in providing support and rehabilitation for the trans community. They have worked tirelessly during the pandemic to help the poor and marginalised. TWEET is a ray of hope for thousands from the LGBTQIA community.