Amidst all the hate, injustice and discrimination today Kochi has lit a beacon of hope for India’s LGBT community. The Sahaj International School is set to become the first residential transgender specific school in the country. It will be inaugurated on the 30th of December by transgender artist Kalki Subramaniam and will start with 10 students with plans to expand later if the project is a success.
On Thursday, transgender activists Faisal CK, Maya Menon and Vijayaraja Mallika announced this amazing venture and Mallika told The Indian Express that they are seeking Government support and funding in an attempt to properly finance the operation. It will be run by six transgenders from the TransIndia foundation and will follow the National Open School System and will provide a syllabus and exams equivalent to Class 10 and 12 systems.
The students themselves were selected from within the transgender community to represent their diversity, they currently have a differently-abled child and a migrant ready to join in December. These children have always faced persecution from society and attending a regular school presents many challenges for them. As Vijayaraja Mallika says ‘The aim of a transgender school is to provide transgenders security, salvation and sustainability,”
They had some difficulty finding a building to set up the school and were turned down by at least 50 building owners. They finally found an ally in the Christian Organisation Pro-life Sector and are now ready to begin work in a space owned by them. Hopefully, Sahaj will become a haven where they can live and feel safe enough to finally thrive and make use of the high standard of education being provided. They will also be accepting people who dropped out of school and giving them a chance to make a fresh start.