By Udbhav Bhargava
The UN Secretary-General ‘s Youth Envoy has listed Manipur’s Khudol among the top 10 global initiatives for an inclusive fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on Youth The Envoy of the Secretary-General on Youth serves as a global advocate for addressing the needs and rights of young people and for getting the UN closer to them.
The Khudol Initiative
An Imphal-based NGO “Ya All” launched “Khudol” initiative The campaign guarantees the food, safety and hygiene needs of the LGBTQI+ population, people living with HIV, day-to-day wage earners, children and adolescents. This is a crowd-funded campaign that has organized a network of 100 volunteers to meet about 2,000 families and individuals’ basic needs. Khudol has been able to supply more than 1000 health kits, 1500 condoms and 6500 sanitary pads for about 2000 families and individuals.
Other activities of ‘Ya_all’
It was also the NGO that produced India’s first transgender football team. The NGO has gained recognition for the organisation of mental health workshops as well as the establishment of Meitram, a first co-working and networking space owned and run by Indian queer people Manipur and LGBTQ during COVID19
Manipur was one of the few states that accommodated the transgender community in the midst of the ongoing lockdown of COVID-19 and ensured that they were not placed into men’s quarantine centres.
The concept of inclusive safe space was developed by Ya all, who partnered with Imphal West District Administration to provide separate rooms and toilets for transgender people apart from a ramp for the differentiated in Imphal quarantine center.
Lockdown and Transgender Community in India
The status quo of transgenders as a community is in a very precarious position. Source of livelihood disrupted Rent, food (most have no ration cards) Access to medicines has been impaired – 1. Anti Retroviral Treatment (ART) for HIV/AIDS and 2. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) required for gender transitioning
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