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Kerala church lends a hand to transgender community

  • Navodaya Movement has started a 24X7 helpline number to provide support to transgenders
  • Church has already allocated land for shelter home at Pathanamthitta
  • Mar Thoma Church want to ensure that people belonging to transgender community remain in their home and get education
Kerala church lends a hand to transgenders

Mar Thoma Church, a prominent Christian Parish in Kerala, is extending hands to help the transgender community. The Church is planning to set up shelter homes and to conduct awareness programmes to ensure integration of third genders back into mainstream society. 
 

As part of the programme, awareness sessions will be held for adolescent transgenders, their parents and society. They will also be encouraged to ensure that third gender persons remain within the family and complete their education. 
 

The programme is an extension of the Navodaya movement of Mar Thoma Church, which was initiated in 2014 in Mumbai, with the objective of rehabilitating transgenders. They have already allocated land in Pathanamthitta district to construct the shelter homes. 
 

"However, it is not so easy for transgenders to remain in family and parents to allow them. These shelter homes will allow those who want to stay away from home, and to prevent them from migrating to other states," Mar Theodosius of Mumbai diocese Geevarghese said. 
 

The Church is also planning to conduct sensitisation programmes in institutions like schools and hospitals and churches. They are also planning to work with the government and Non-government organisations to implement programmes to ensure the protection of human rights of the community. 
 

Navodaya Movement has also started a 24X7 helpline number to provide support and counselling for the third genders and their families. 

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