When you imagine your future, do you see a family life?

“Of course, I do. Like any other woman, I too dream of a family life with a suitable man. But for transgenders, the chances for an arranged marriage are slim.The chances for a man falling in love and accepting us as his partner are not great either. That is how it is even for transgenders who live in metro cities and towns. What can I hope for, then, coming as I do from a village in one of India’s most undeveloped districts!”

Durga, one of the first transgenders from Odisha's Malkangiri district to be employed in the government sector, was born in Korukonda, a village 20 kilometres away the district headquarters. She is the first child of Tata Rao, a headload worker in construction sites, and Pratima Gacha, a house wife. She has two siblings- a sister and a brother.

“It was a very painful time for my family when my body first started changing. I was 10 years old at the time. But my family was always supportive. Nobody at home tried to dissuade me when I got attracted to women’s cosmetic items.”

Though she had a supportive family by her side, she was not spared from the stigmatization society places on transgenders. There was some respite from the mocking and sneering once she started worshipping her God Durga in the village temple. However, right from childhood she knew that society would never wholeheartedly welcome her into its fold. She also knew that she had no choice but to accept her reality and get on with life.

Durga wore boys’ dress to school. Rest of the time, she dressed as a girl. She went to school till eleventh standard. After quitting school, she tried to find a job. But nobody was willing to employ her. After a while, Durga and few of her transgender friends from the district came to the conclusion that ‘market and train collection’ is their only feasible source of income.

After spending few months in big cities like Bhubaneswar and Mumbai, Durga and her friends decided to come back to their village. They were not comfortable with earning a living from market/train collection. "That was not a decent way", Durga says.

By that time, Durga had become a prominent personality in Malkangiri's transgender community, a voice that was listened to. After returning home, Durga and friends explored the possibilities of a government job. They approached several authorities and eventually met the District Collector. It took another two years for jobs to be allotted to them on the basis of their educational qualification.

“We begged for our job. It was only after we warned the District Collector that we would do prostitution in public that he immediately summoned the Superintent of Police and gave us special training for the security job.”

Five people, including Durga, were appointed as security employees at Malkangiri District Hospital. Later, five more were appointed. Another five were appointed as water pump workers with the Water Authority.

"I am in touch with most of the transgenders in Malkangiri. I give them guidelines about government procedures like linking Aadhar, getting Caste certificate etc. The attitude of people got better when I became a working person, that too in the government sector. But we are still looked down upon by society. However, I now see it as their problem, not ours”, Durga says.

Initially she used to commute from her village to her workplace in Malkangiri every day. Later, she realised it wasn’t a practical option, and rented a one-bedroom house in the town.

She did not have to face too many issues while searching for a house to rent. Other transgenders from Malkangiri prefer to stay at her place when they come to the town. These days, Bhumi Kovasu, another transgender, is staying with Durga.

Bhumi Kovasu is a transgender from Markapali village, in Pandripani. She has an elder brother, an elder sister and a younger brother.

(There are around 20 transgenders in the town. Ten of them are working as security employees in the Government District hospital, Malkangiri, five others are water pump operators with the Water Authority. Another three go for market collection, while two work in jewellery shops. One person is working in a bakery. There are around 60 transgenders in Malkangiri District.)