City’s first old-age home for transgender persons opens

Free food and other facilities will be provided at shelter house

PHOTO: EXPRESS

LAHORE:
After the establishment of first transgender school in Lahore, an old-age home has also been founded in the city for the transgender community. The old-age home will provide free medical facilities with accommodation to transgender persons.

Based on residential rooms, this old-age home has been founded by Lahore’s renowned transgender person Aashi Butt.

Aashi Butt says she first began working on the project in 2011 which has now reached completion. “I have spent all my earnings from dance and singing on this project,” Butt added.

Aashi Butt said, “Transgender persons will be able to spend their lives as a family in this old home.”

“These people, rejected by their loved ones, can live in this old home like a big family. They will be together in each other’s sorrow and happiness,” Aashi maintained.

Built for transgender community, the project aims at providing food and shelter to the transgender persons who have spent their lives dancing or begging on streets but now due to ageing have no place to go to. These transgender persons can no longer sing or dance and many of these are sick as well.


Old-age home for transgenders opens in Lahore

The old-age home consists of 28 beds and members of the transgender community who suffer life-threatening diseases will be given priority admission at the facility.

The organisers of the old-age home told Express News that a doctor will also be available round-the-clock for the treatment of ailing transgender persons. Until now, 60 transgender persons have got themselves registered for the old home.

They added the food will be prepared according to their wishes, indoor games will be available to them, while they will also have the facility of TV lounge, a small library and a prayers corner.

The old-age home organisers said that assistance from any government or non-government organisation has not been gained for the purpose. The old-age home will become functional from Ramazan, they said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1st, 2018.
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