TIRUCHY: It's 6 PM on Wednesday. As the sun sets, there is buzz on the airport road, thanks to a new food stall. Six trans women, dressed in matching green sarees, light the lamp and start serving soup and kesari to the small crowd that has gathered. They beam with pride as their dream of starting their own business has finally been realised. By 8 PM, the crowd swells at the 'Tasty Foods' stall, people making a beeline for the mutton soup and dosas.
Starting a food stall is not easy, and the road to achievement has been filled with obstacles for these owners. Riyana, Sayyesha, Parveen, Maya, Namitha and Harini knocked at the doors of several government offices and NGO for years, before they found the right support in the form of the NGO Feed. Two months ago, when this reporter met the group, they spoke about wanting to start a food stall, but not having enough money. In June, Feed contacted Riyana and promised help. With a sum of Rs 31,000 from Feed, and Rs 20,000 from their own savings, they were able to start the stall.
The chefs are Sayyesha and Parveen. Sayyesha has worked at restaurants and has helped to set up a stall. "I had been promised that I would be a partner in the stall. I invested a lot of money, and cooked and bought groceries. Once the stall's business picked up, I was kicked out. I had to leave a restaurant because of the harassment I faced. I am so happy that we finally have started something of our own, and no one can kick us out now," says Sayyesha.
All of them are educated but were unemployed, except Riyana, who works in an NGO. Covid also dealt them a body blow. Despite the challenges, they used to feed 50 people daily in May and June, spending Rs 1,500 per day from their own pockets. It was this service that led Feed to help them.
While Sayyesha has studied MSc Botany, Parveen has a civil engineering diploma. Maya has an Electrical & Electronics Engineering diploma, while Harini has a MSc degree, and Namitha has studied till Class XII.
"All of us have gone for several interviews, done well and reached the last round. HR will say that they would get back to us, which will not happen because we are trans women. That is why we know that we have to stand on our own feet and be independent," says Riyana.
They all stay together as most of their natal families have rejected them.
"Even after all these years, our families haven't accepted us. We only go to our houses late at night, meet our mothers and come. We still support them financially, yet they reject us. We are all degree holders. We can succeed in life, achieve and prove that to the world," beams Namitha.
The food stall serves different types of dosas, like curry dosa, egg dosa, onion dosa, podi dosa, keera dosa, vegetable dosa, ghee dosa, butter dosa. The stall also has idli. They hope to set up a restaurant once business picks up.