“These days, no one even donates money to us. They think people like us are not trustworthy enough to lend money. I am somehow managing by borrowing money from my mother and Guru,” says Rudrani Chhetri, the Program Director of Garima Greh in Delhi. Rudrani, who is herself a transwoman and an activist, highlights the financial struggles faced by the tansgender shelter funded by the government. The Union Government launched the Garima Greh shelter homes on 12th Feb, 2022, under the SMILE (Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) scheme. 

The Garima Greh initiative came as a ray of hope for transgender individuals, providing them with shelter, and more importantly an opportunity to develop various skills to sustain themselves in a year’s time. With a total of 12 shelter homes across India, each accommodating 25 residents, the initiative aimed to empower and uplift the transgender community.

We visited the Garima Greh in Delhi under our Pride Month series, intending to shed light on the challenges faced by transgender shelter homes. However, what we discovered painted a starkly different picture. These vital shelters have been grappling with financial constraints for over 14 months now, significantly impeding their ability to fulfil their crucial role.

We found that the reality on the ground tells a different story as these transgender shelter homes remain cash-strapped for more than 14 months now. The government assigned various NGOs in different states to manage these shelters, but they are struggling to keep the operations running smoothly. 

A Garima Greh requires a meagre one-time setup cost of Rs. 5,02,500 per shelter, and an expected recurring fund of Rs. 31,44,000 per month, these shelters are meant to provide a lifeline to transgender individuals. Shockingly, all transgender shelter homes across India are dealing with the same helplessness of not receiving funds from the government. 

Watch our video to know more about the issue.