TRANSGENDERS/GENDER NON-CONFIRMED CHILDREN
PROJECT SIVA SHAKTHI
Siva – Shakti in a joint project between Sri Sivananda Balalaya an educational institution which specializes in ‘Inclusive Education’ and ‘The Rotary Club of Trichy – Shakti. This project envisages providing an opportunity to all Transgerders children to complete their Higher Secondary Education with dignity Security and Care.
Transgender children are those who have ‘Gender Dysphoria’. They experience a fundamental unease and dissatisfaction with the biological sex one is born with resulting in anxiety, depression, restlessness etc. Dysphoria often acts as a catalyst to change one’s body and gender expression. In simple words a boy trapped in a girl’s body or a girl trapped in a boy’s body.
The greater problem is not the gender body Dysphoria, but special predicament. This is a greater menance in our society. For No fault of the child, the child get isolated, punished and invariably disowned.
It’s very ironic that social pressure can destroy the entire life of a child who is fully capable like anyone else to achieve any great heights. Instead of becoming an asset, we the society push those children as social liabilities. What can be more tragic?
Puberty is a difficult period for such children, since the body begins to change and adapt gender specific features and invariably these children are lost, and cannot understand why they are different from others. The environment is it at school or at home is seldom of any help. The society needs to be educated and especially the parents need to be supportive of such children.
All these children look for is guidance, an opportunity to evolve. Instead what they face is rejection, isolation and finally being disowned for no fault of theirs.
“Ramu is one such child studying in 9th std. The child is going through an internal turmoil not knowing what is happening to him. He senses changes taking place within. He senses a behavioral change which is more feminine than in masculine, his voices and movements are more female like.
He is scared, anxious, troubled and tense. He slowly gets isolated in his class, friends who have been close to him for many years avoid him and teachers who do not understand the changes happening in him start admonishing him and isolating him.
There comes a stage Ramu fears coming to school. He starts inventing excuses to avoid coming school by falling sick, etc. The turmoil doesn’t end with the child avoiding school it only intensifies for the turmoil starts at home. Most Parents don’t understand, Don’t want to understand stay in a denial mode and start punishing the child for avoiding school.
The child further shrinks into his shell unable to talk is anyone who can guide him or counsel him. The Parents stay in a denied mode not seeking guidance / counseling. This period of turmoil at school and at home is an extremely peaceful time period for the child and the parents.
80% of Parents due to social pressure end up finally disowning the child. The child is disowned and is permanently last to the society inspite of the fact that the child is completely capable, intelligent and hardworking and can be an asset to the society.
The struggle of the child does not end here. A new struggle starts for this child. Livelihood. The child at this tender age of 14, 15, 16 for no fault of her/his is in the street, disowned by the school, by the Parents and by the society.
Project Siva Shakti in designed to address this dedicate issue, to provide the necessary dignity, care and security for all such children who want to continue and complete their education upto XII stds.
Sri Sivananda Balalaya along with Rotary club of Trichy ‘Shakti” has laid the foundation stone to open a Hostel for such children at Sri Sivananda Balalaya, Adavathur .Palayam, Trichy, Tamil Nadu.
This residential school for children struggling with gender Dysphoria provides an opportunity to complete their education in a secure, caring and child friendly environment.
Project Siva Shakti not only is looking at completion of Education, but also will provide all necessary help to their protégés in the following areas.
a. Help in admissions in suitable colleges for under graduation.
b. Assist these children to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
c. Help organize sponsors for education for children from poor background.
d. The school aims at making transgender eligible for taking decent job, and leading dignified life.
e. psychological counseling to battle against all odds in the prevalent society
f. Legal Rights of such children and provisions from the Govt. of India for their protection and livelihood .
“It’s important as society that we do not lose sight of the satisfaction the child can get by acknowledging and changing what can be changed and moving towards one’s own authentic self.” T���˳