A group of five transwomen in Tiruchirapelli have been cooking food and serving roadside elders and the needy on a daily basis during the COVID-inducted lockdown. With a complete lockdown imposed in Tamil Nadu to curb COVID spread, restaurants and grocery vendors have also been shut, leaving many struggling to procure meals. To help ease the crisis, a group of five transwomen named Riana, Parveen, Namitha, Uma and Maya hailing from Kallukkuzhi area of Trichy have been serving home-cooked food for those in need. They buy rice, groceries and veggies from their own savings and with the help of donations from friends. The team of five cooks together at their home, packs the food and then deliver it to people’s doorsteps while maintaining all Covid-19 protocol.
Trichy District Corporation, Agriculture and Cooperative Departments have made arrangements to sell vegetables and fruits at people’s doorsteps. As many as 535 vehicles in metropolitan areas and 500 vehicles in suburban areas have been deployed to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential commodities. Meanwhile, only takeaways are allowed from restaurants. Though ‘Amma Unavagam’ outlets are functioning across the state, there are many needy who can’t even afford a penny to buy food. Eventually, various NGOs and charities as well as individuals such as the transwomen from Trichy have taken up the mantle of feeding the hungry.
Inspired by their service, many have been distributing food parcels or home-cooked meals at their stores. During the COVID pandemic, hundreds have lost their jobs and livelihood. Yet the caring act by these transwomen in Trichy, who were abandoned by their own parents and relatives, has made Trichi residents admire their service. ‘We have been doing all we can to help during this crisis, " Riana, one of the transwomen in the team, said. “Like us, others should also come up forward to lend helping hands to the poor and needy during this crucial time," she added.
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