Hello, I’m Manya and I’m fundraising for gender affirming care on behalf of my friend, ‘M’. This is their story:

‘My name is M, and I am a 28-year-old living in New Delhi. At the age of 12, when puberty finally hit, I also began feeling something was off. It took 6 years to acknowledge this ‘offness’ and one more year of realising that I’m trans and want to get gender affirming surgery. So this year marks ten years since I've been waiting for this. I have carried the weight of gender dysphoria, a deeply personal (and medically recognized) condition that has affected every aspect of my daily life- my mental health, my sense of self, and my ability to function with dignity and peace. All my life, I’ve learnt to get over things and regenerate my feelings faster than an average person but every miss/ma’am/she/her and any perception of being a woman feels like someone is peeling my skin off with a fork. I’m tired of not speaking in public or new spaces at the fear of being ‘clocked’ as an imposter of a man and misgendered and she/her’d into oblivion. I’m tired of walking around hunched back and slouching my shoulders, physically and metaphorically. Most of all, I’m tired of hiding and shrinking myself to be more palatable and ‘survive.’ 

I have hopes, and dreams, and ambitions and most of them have been put on hold because that tiny whisper of a ‘but we need to “not be a woman” before we do this’ has increasingly become a loud, screeching, banshee wail that I can’t ignore anymore. With the Trans Act of 2026, access to healthcare has become harder, and surgery is also going to cost a lot more than I had planned for earlier. While I’m looking for gigs in my field to earn the money needed for this, I will not be able to do this without your help. 

What the money will go towards:

- Top surgery: this’ll be the biggest cost of the transition. I'm currently consulting with Dr Mahesh Mangal at Sri Ganga Ram Hospital and the surgery estimate (inclusive of pre surgery consultation, the actual surgery and the post surgical stay+medicines and other care logistics) is around 2.45-3 lakhs. 

- Hormone Replacement Therapy- I’m currently consulting with Dr. Aishwarya Krishnamurthy and one consultation session is 1800 (may increase in the future due to the Act), which I have to take every 3 months to monitor my levels and my hypothyroidism. 

Which also means blood tests every 3 months, which will cost 3200. 

While this may seem manageable to some, it is a significant barrier for me at this stage of my life. I do not have the financial resources or family support to cover these expenses on my own. After spending years contributing whatever I can to friends and community members fundraisers with a lot of joy (and a tinge of envy), I now need your help- I need financial support, from friends and allies alike. Every rupee counts- from 50 to 500 to as much as you can. 

As an alternate, my friends Manya Sinha, a photographer and filmmaker are ready to exchange the following services:

- Photography (events, portraits, documentary, conceptual, BTS, whatever you want)

- Videography

- Editing

- High quality prints of their photographs

And Ayana Joe, a musician/music composer

- Music production (sound design and mixing)

- Arrangement/composition

I’m really thankful to my community for equipping me with the knowledge and the courage of conviction in myself to start this journey. There isn’t enough gratitude or vocabulary in the world for me to describe my indebtedness. I have never taken this emotional support for granted. Many of us didn’t think we’d make it this far, and I didn’t think I would either. I need this surgery and HRT to survive more than anything else. I’ve gone past my saturation point twice over, and then some, and I’m ready to take the leap and go through with it this year. I am reaching out with full transparency and vulnerability, asking for your support so that I can access the medical care I need and deserve. And in case you can’t, it would really be helpful for me if this fundraiser could be sent to more people ahead, those who can spare some money.'

Thank you!