At the forefront: Jaya, of Sahodaran, says more leaders must emerge from the community to sustain the NGO.
| Photo Credit: Akhila Easwaran
In the 27 years that she has worked at the Chennai-based Sahodaran, an NGO working for the uplift of LGBTQIA+ persons, Jaya, 45, has never taken a sick day or personal day. “It sounds unbelievable but it is the truth. I love my job so much that sometimes I even come in on Sundays and public holidays,” she says.
When Sahodaran was founded by C. Sunil Menon in 1996 to support MSM (men who have sex with men) with HIV-AIDS, Ms. Jaya, a transwoman, had finished school and was pursuing B. Com at Pachaiyappa’s College. Excited to learn about the organisation, she would go there every day for volunteer work. “I felt so relaxed and at home — and I loved talking to people, my people,” she says. Soon, she became a peer educator, who helped to raise awareness of sexually transmitted infections and diseases among the MSM community.
Rising through the ranks
In a matter of years, Ms. Jaya, or Jaya aunty as she is fondly called, rose through the ranks in Sahodaran — from part-time worker to outreach worker, field officer, field coordinator, project coordinator, and programme manager — and is now the general manager of the organisation. Mr. Sunil serves as its director. “The reason I could make strides is because Sahodaran is a fully community-based organisation: for the community and by the community. Every person who works here is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. When we have ample talent among us, why should we deny ourselves the opportunity,” she asks. The organisation, whose office is located at Aminjikarai, has 19 permanent staff members and over 50 part-time staff members.
Sahodaran’s purpose has evolved over the years. Whether it is leading targeted interventions for the Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) or conducting sensitisation classes for various groups — doctors, teachers, students, nurses, paramedical staff, lawyers, judicial staff, self-help groups, house brokers, landlords, and even history-sheeters — the organisation has taken a broader approach towards aiding the LGBTQIA+ community, Ms. Jaya says.
“Over time, we began addressing a lot of issues: helping transpeople get ration cards and ID cards, and housing, creating employment opportunities, helping them with the transition process, and offering support to those who are facing discrimination at home and work, to name a few,” she adds.
Relatively stable life
Born in Chennai, Ms. Jaya grew up among her brothers and a sister. “Many transpeople carry significant trauma from their childhood and early adulthood. I consider myself one of the fortunate few who can say I had a relatively stable life as a transwoman. I received an education, and I’m now able to contribute to the community through my work,” Ms. Jaya says.
For Ms. Jaya, one of the most rewarding parts of the job is when people approach her on the field, asking: “Jaya aunty, do you remember me? You helped me out.” “We are not concerned with how many people like our posts on social media. Of course, we need social media, but our primary focus is to listen to members of the community…keep our ears to the ground. The real work happens on the ground,” Ms. Jaya says, recalling how Sahodaran won the UNAIDS Award in 2006 and was also one of the eight organisations invited to the White House in 2016 by the Obama administration. “What I aspire to do now is help bring up more leaders from the community, so that even when I’m not there, or Mr. Sunil is not there, Sahodaran will carry on,” she says, adding that having a building and training centre of its own is her biggest dream for the organisation.
Published – March 30, 2025 10:38 pm IST