NGO empowers transgenders, sex workers by innovative livelihood means

Sowmya Raju | NT

Bengaluru: Best Practices Foundation (BPF), a Bengaluru-based NGO, recently carried out a cutting-edge livelihood intervention in Karnataka with two vulnerable and stigmatised populations: the Transgender (TG) community and women in sex work.

The MOVE (Market Oriented Value Enhancement) intervention equipped participants with the skills and support systems necessary to start their own businesses.

“This makes me very happy. I'm able to live a dignified life now. Although I am making less money than I used to make, I am living a dignified life now,” said Sanam, a member of the LGBTIAQ+ community who used to seek alms for a living.

The MOVE training gave them the confidence to start a vegetable shop, and their business is now doing well.

Shardhamma. M, a 55-year-old woman from Kagnur village, Huvina Hadagali Taluk, Karnataka, also benefited from the MOVE training. She learned how to set goals and sell goods, and she started a chicken and dairy farming business.

Her income has since increased from Rs 9,000 to Rs 17,220.

“I like MOVE training because I learnt about marketing,” said Rekha P, a 30-year-old woman.

The PMA survey was helpful in finding a paper plate-making machine and raw materials, and she now feels proud of herself and wants to expand her business to help other women.

Shubha Chacko, Executive Director of Solidarity Foundation, highlighted the efforts made by the government to support gender and sexual minority communities as well as sex workers. However, she noted that there are instances where these initiatives fail to effectively reach these communities. Chacko shared an anecdote from a government training program in tailoring, revealing that many of these workers possess the necessary skills but lack the knowledge of how to monetise and benefit from these skills.

This is where organisations like Solidarity Foundation step in to assist these communities and contribute to improving their future prospects. BPF has been successful in helping 51 GSM members and 12 in the sex workers' community start profitable businesses, leading to significant increases in their standard of living and financial status.

The MOVE intervention is an UN-ILO-World Bank-YEN Market Place award-winning program that enables participants to become self-sufficient entrepreneurs through a 12-module training program.

“Through MOVE, we have created over 750 entrepreneurs at the bottom of the pyramid,” said Dr Sangeetha Purushothaman, Executive Director of BPF.

“With increasing interest from partners like Solidarity Foundation, Sangama and Huairou Commission, we have been able to adapt MOVE to populations traditionally excluded by mainstream livelihood programmes.”

BPF is an action-research organisation whose mission is to improve the quality of life of marginalised communities.

The MOVE intervention is a successful example of how BPF is working to empower marginalised communities and help them achieve their full potential. The program has had a significant impact on the lives of participants, and it is a model that can be replicated in other settings.