MEGA PROJECT

I’ve been thinking about the mega project and after brainstorming my ideas of working with an NGO named TAABIIR who focuses on the Skill development program for women and Trans. They are also helping Transgender to empower themselves.

Which in our Pakistan is still a taboo to even talk about them or to them. My friend is working with them and she is my source of inspiration, how she is handling her job and this cause too. I’ve had a very long discussion about the transgender with her. By the end of the conversation, I was in tears, to begin with. It was so heart wrenching to hear their stories, how she connected by just meeting them from time to time so that they can be comfortable around them. After they were comfortable with the team they learn new things from the NGO.

How my friend told me their stories, how they felt nothing when their own parents didn’t own them. They get thrown from their houses, how their other family members reacted to what they are. It’s a very bitter truth of our society that no one really acknowledges.

So as an art student I wanted to help them to divert their energy into something they can be proud of. As they have difficulty expressing themselves in our society, so wanted to help them to be true to themselves.

There are some initiatives towards their growth as our government also took an initiative towards the identity issue of transgenders. They were exceedingly marginalized and had no category to call their own as official records only list either Male or Female identities, therefore this step, taken by the government is a milestone for them as a community which has a history of discrimination based on fact that they don’t fall on either side of the gender spectrum.

Little steps like these shed light on how third-world countries are actually moving towards a progressive lifestyle for all the society. Marvia Malik is one of the highlighted people for the transgender society. As she was the first transgender working as a news presenter in a known channel. She also was the first one to walk the ramp during the annual Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) fashion show this month.

She told to CNN in an interview;

“I want to show the country that we are more than objects of ridicule … that we are also human”

I think its time start creating awareness that transgenders are also human and we give them their right of being human. So they can also grow in society, have their own freedom to achieve their goals easily. I think that we have to create a safe environment where everybody can feel safe and follow their dreams.

Hope you like my project.

B.