Seeking to enhance livelihood opportunities for transgender persons in Pollachi, Anaimalai and surrounding rural regions, a petition was submitted on Monday to the Coimbatore District Collector requesting land allotment for a community livelihood initiative.
The representation was made by transgender activist and artist Kalki Subramaniam, founder of Sakodhari Foundation, which has launched a project titled Cocofriends to create income-generation avenues for transgender persons. As part of the initiative, 12 transgender individuals have completed training in producing value-added products from coconut shells and have been provided with employment, the petition stated.
According to the petition, the project aims to extend similar skill-development training to transgender persons living in rural regions, enabling them to secure sustainable livelihoods. The foundation noted that land support from the district administration would facilitate the creation of a dedicated workspace to operate the Cocofriends project and expand training and employment opportunities for the community.
