

As of 24th March 2020, India is in total coronavirus lock-down. For the millions who survive on a daily wage with minimal social security, life has become a daily struggle.



I’m a documentary filmmaker based in Wales and for the last 5 years, I have been filming the transgender – Hijra - community in New Delhi. The community is one of the poorest and most vulnerable sections of Indian society and lockdown has hit them hard leaving thousands without food, medicine or shelter.



The vast majority of this community have been disowned by their families and live in small, tightly packed, precariously rented accommodation in the slums of Delhi. Thrown out of the mainstream world, they survive primarily by blessing for alms and sex work. But virtually all forms of income have dried up due to the current situation.



Many of them are also very susceptible to the disease due to weakened immune systems caused by unregulated hormone treatments and many more are HIV positive. The sustained discrimination this community faces has left them with little to no support in India’s privately owned healthcare system.









The lead character of our film Rudrani Chettri is a dedicated activist who runs a community led charity called Mitr Trust. They work with over 2,500 trans people living in dire conditions in Delhi.



Messages from Rudrani on the ground

Video 1 -https://vimeo.com/408353152

Video 2 - https://vimeo.com/408357502





Through this lockdown they have distributed dry rations – supplied by donations from Indian civil society - to 650 members of the community. As the lockdown extends for another 3 weeks - all rations have now run out and Rudrani is inundated with messages asking for support. We urgently seek funds to feed the hungriest and most vulnerable.

Please help! A donation of £20 will support a household for a week, £100 would support 5 households, £1000 would support 50 households including a need for medicines, rent and cooking essentials such as gas cylinders. The funds will be directed to the Mitr Trust with regular updates on distribution.





On behalf of our documentary crew and the trans-hijra community in

need of help, we say a big THANK YOU!!!