Hi, My name is Charu, I am a trans man from Tamil Nadu who migrated many years back to Bangalore to find the freedom to live but because of a child from a forced marriage who I needed to raise, I have not been able to transition or live life to the fullest extent possible till today. After working in NGOs for many years, I decided to buy a car and become a driver and self-employed.
For the past 6 years that is what I have been doing for a living. I have driven with uber, ola, and airport taxi. Recently, due to the impact of covid and pre-existing gender harassment in a car company, I lost my job and now have to renew my permits, make the car covid safe, and pay for the insurance. It's only after this that I can join uber or ola again and make an income.
I am sure all of you know how impossible it is to find work as a working class trans man who has not been able to study. I am unable to afford rent and so have been staying with a friend much beyond the period where one would feel welcome and need to move out as well. I am Tamil speaking and have taken the help of my friend to write this description.
Hope you will help me tide over this difficult period in my life. Thank you all.