How a pair of gold earrings turned these two trans women into entrepreneurs

Aisha Kousar and Anandi have set up a tea stall to serve essential workers

Struggling to survive in the lockdown brought on by the second Covid wave, two transgender women sold their gold earrings to invest in a pushcart to sell tea.

Aisha Kousar and Anandi belong to a community of close to 10,000 that is hit the hardest in the lockdown. Their struggles barely get mainstream society’s attention even as they suffered the indignity of having to beg and offer sexual services to survive. The duo, however, decided to use the lockdown to salvage their dignity by investing in the business after scraping the barrel for several days.

“Anandi and I sold the gold earrings we had and got money to set up the tea stall with the help of a friend who earlier sold street food,” Aisha told DH. “I have three adopted children and am determined to ensure they get everything they need.”

Parking their pushcart a few metres away from Hudson Circle, Aisha and Anandi serve refreshing tea to essential workers.

“We set up the tea stall last week,” Aisha said. “Many delivery boys, ambulance and truck drivers and medical staff work hard and need a break. The tea stall with snacks will energise them. Since there are restrictions, we make sure people don’t crowd around and leave the place immediately.”

Unfortunately, many in the trans community do not find the opportunity to turn things around like Aisha and Anandi. “Many continue to beg in the same Corporation Circle, despite the absence of vehicular or public movement,” said Vinod Kartavya, member of the volunteers’ group Bengaluru Hudugaru. “They are mentally stressed and are clueless.”

Vinod and a team of 25 volunteers distributed 25 ration kits a day to members of the transgender community to help them have three square meals a day for at least a month. “We have circulated our mobile numbers to the community. Any transgender person wanting help can get in touch with us,” Vinod said.