Born2Win, they show way to fellow transpersons

Then came the pandemic and lockdown and with business taking a hit, the transwoman was finally forced to give up the stall.

However, an undeterred Preethisha took to selling tea on her moped and the idea of a mobile tea shop struck. On Wednesday, she launched her mobile tea stall, ‘Magizham Mobile Tea Shop’.

Based out of Ashok Nagar, the stall travels across the city to Koyambedu, selling tea and biscuits. But the fall of the first venture has hit her hard. “I had put in almost four lakh rupees into the first tea shop, and lost all of it. That’s when I contacted the non-profit Born2Win, to gain support financially and otherwise,” said the 33-year-old.

Born2Win, through self-employment programme, gave Preethisha the funding and assurance she needed, especially with receiving police permission and support. Started in 2015, the programme has helped 86 trans entrepreneurs so far.

“It is time that we transpeople support each other. Through the programme, we offer financial assistance and other business-related support. This is an effort to get trans people out there and working so that they can earn a respectable livelihood and stay out of the streets,” said its founder K Shwetha.

One such individual is Saanvi S, who runs a DTP Centre in Saidapet. Set up in 2019, the transwoman runs the shop with assistance from another transwoman and is currently training other local transwomen.

“The main objective is to help support my sisters, too. I have a place where they can come and earn honest money, and soon they will also feel empowered to start their own businesses. Many feel that they are rejected but society, but I want to show them differently. This way, the cycle begins within the community itself,” she said.

Times have changed, says Preethisha, and it is high time that the community began supporting each other. “It’s one thing to complain about discrimination. It’s another to do something about it. I hope my business expands to include at least 10-15 transwomen, and then maybe even more,” she said.