Breaking stereotypes: Educating the transgender community in Islamabad
The school, located in a slum of the capital city, comes in as a beacon of light for the oppressed transgender community. Photo: Reuters
(Dunya News) – The transgender community in Islamabad is breaking stereotypical approaches of the people towards them by joining a school in hopes of a better future.
The school, located in a slum of the capital city, comes in as a beacon of light for the oppressed transgender community.
Established by a non-government organisation, it aims to help the transgender community live a respectful life without depending on others. In doing so, it is not only providing its students the basic right to education, but is also teaching them skills, including computer literacy, embroidery and stitching.
Students from the transgender community – who are making this initiative a success, are a proof of the fact that everything is possible with determination, and that there are no social barriers like that of age or gender when it is about education.
“We are learning to stitch so that we can make a respectable living,” said one of the students studying at the school. “Don’t think you can’t do anything. You can do everything,” remarked another student while speaking to Dunya News.
“They have developed an interest for seeking education. When we ask them what you want to become, they tell us how they plan to excel in different fields, like computers,” said a teacher part of the initiative focusing on imparting education to the transgender community.
It is high time that the government takes such initiatives too, and provides the transgender community proper rights.