In the last year, we have intervened in about 20 direct crisis situations, found therapists and psychiatric help for about 15 people in mental health crisis situations, held more than 20 webinars and events related to the political and historical concerns of the community. 
Please find us on https://instagram.com/vanajacollective?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Ongoing Programs

Crisis prevention and support: Our team has intervened in various crisis situations faced by the community that exist due to the discrimination we face in a casteist, classist, ableist and patriarchal system. We have provided support to lesbian couple from fundamentalist family backgrounds wanting to unite, heterosexual couple accused of 'love-jihad' with the whole villages turning against their life together, women wanting to live alone for their freedom and men discriminated against for their caste status, are some of the crisis cases we have already dealt with and are getting better at. These interventions are made in alliance with queer-affirming police personnel, and are followed by legal as well as medical assistance.

Please see the news on one our latest intervention 

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/interview-kerala-lesbian-woman-reveals-she-was-subjected-conversion-therapy-179525

Our webinars are helping spread new and unexplored perspectives of/by our focus communities. We are also working with Mental Health Recovery and Support- a support seeker is directed to a specialist who/whose organization has agreed to provide this service to us for free or discounted rate as a contribution to Vanaja Collective.

One of the crises in which media intervention was sought and which gathered worldwide attention was of the lesbian couple Adhila Nasrin and Fathima Noora.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-61657236

Community engagement and awareness: We regularly conduct webinars and discussions on topics on contemporary issues - about people's strikes at the sites of oppression or the history of the community which has been consciously hidden by the structures of power.  

We see this coming together as a political statement against an oppressor’s system which has successfully divided marginalized communities into many, for the ease of their oppression. We believe that systems must be compassionate towards oppressed communities, and we believe in everyday practice of a politics of compassion.

Presently we are housed in a rental facility in Kozhikode, Kerala. On the last International Women’s Day (8 March 2022) we inaugurated our office space which has an art room, a counseling room, shared spaces for reading and interactions. We also intend to start a community library soon.

How You Can Help

Communities of the oppressed are very low on resources – and we believe   in sharing whatever privileges we have with the community. If you have financial privileges and if you believe that many things can be done in coming together, please contribute to the Collective through this fundraiser.

Vanaja Collective’s Projected Expenses for April 2023 - March 2024 (12 months) in INR:
Crisis Fund                                                      1,80,000.00
Office Rent                                                      1,20,000.00
Office facilities                                                  60,000.00
Salaries (5 staff)                                               3,00,000.00
Vanaja Activities fund                                     1,20,000.00
Total                                                                7,80,000.00