NGO Participation
KOLKATA RISTA
About Us
Kolkata Rista is a transgender community based organization (CBO) that has, over the last 20 years, worked in four states of India (West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh), with various subgroups of the broader LGBTQI+ community, i.e. those of non-normative sexual orientation and gender identity. This includes people who identify as Transgender, Hijra, Kothi, Lesbian, Gay, Queer as also the often ‘hidden’ populations of Dupli, Parikh, Giria etc. who rarely publicly identify. Amongst these groups are included male and transgender sex workers. Kolkata Rista, is run by members of these communities themselves and over the years the programmes and strategies of the organization represent an approach sensitive to the ground level experiences of exclusion and marginalization due to gender and sexual divergence from the heteronormative structures of society.
Our Appeal
Journey of Kolkata Rista from 2000 – 2004
Kolkata Rista started to work with the transgender community from the year of 2000, in the initial stage of the organization we never thought that we needed registration for Kolkata Rista, our only objective were to share our problems with likeminded people. In those days we organized support group meetings where the main discussion was on how we would combat our problems. There was not a single writing pad with us, so we wrote meeting minutes behind the calendar’s date pages. Slowly we started to meet with other organizations and started to get ideas that how to run organization and what kind of activities needs to do. Suddenly we met one of our beloved sisters who suggested us to registration of Kolkata Rista; it was first time when we listed the word ‘registration’.
Finally by support of members of Kolkata Rista we applied for registration, but the registration process not happed smoothly, after long struggle we got registration 23rd of July 2004. Then we started to work with the transgender community by providing condom and peer level counseling, also we organized community events by helping some well-wishers, they gave us very small’s donations. End of the 2003 we get a small fund on non formal education, it was a memorable day of Kolkata Rista, by that fund we started to work with 12 children at Dhapa and Phoolbagan area, as we mentioned that it was a very little support, so we were able to run the programme for six months.
Journey of Kolkata Rista from 2005– 2009
Since 2004, Calcutta Rista has focused on advocacy and networking, and has been introduced to various organizations across India, as well as condom distribution and HIV awareness work. During this time several kind hearted people extended their helping hand towards Kolkata Rista, with their help they organized small advocacy and sensitization events with Kolkata Rista stakeholders. This time we get a small fund from JAGORI, and we organized some programme with the transgender community and stakeholders, the purpose of the programme was to awareness generation regarding human rights, legal rights, health and gender issues for the transgender community as well as stakeholders. Through programmes of JAGORI Kolkata Rista become known to others as a transgender community based organization. This time we took part some of national level conference across India.
Journey of Kolkata Rista from 2010– 2014
After 2009 Kolkata Rista tried for funding because in that time lot of problems identified by the organization, and to mitigate those problems funding support were badly needed. In the year of 2011 Kolkata Rista got Pehchan project, it was a memorable day for the organization, formally it was a big project for the organization, the project was supported by Global Fund. Target population of the project was MSM, Transgender and Hijra community. Through this project we served the community in the aspects of couselling, HIV testing, link with ART, advocacy and sensitization meeting with stakeholders and the MTH community. Pehchan project gave a big platform for the transgender community. Kolkata Rista was only organization who runs the project till last date of the agreement. This session, we organized a good numbers of advocacy and sensitization with different civil society organizations. Nationally and internationally Kolkata Rista becomes a known organization. Pehchan project become end in the year of 2015.
Journey of Kolkata Rista from 2015– 2019
This five years was a very important time for the organization, in the year of 2015 Kolkata Rista become partner of West Bengal State AIDS Prevention & Control Society through its MSM TI project. This was the first government supported project, through this project we started to work in Kolkata and its nearby districts like North and South 24 Parganas. To date we are implementing this project. In the year of 2018 we got 2 projects one from AHF foundation another from NCPI+, through first project we have done HIV testing among vulnerable population and link them with ART, the second one was on TG PLHUV friends, the objectives of the project was to link TG PLHIVs who are detached from ART center and also focus on their mental wellbeing, this project running to date.
In the year of 2018 we also worked with THALI project, it was a pilot project and supported by CINI. The THALI project was on TB and its related issues. In the year of 2019 Kolkata Rista organized Universal Health Coverage programme where participants came from nationally and internationally, the objectives of the programme was how to full-fill Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and Leave No One Behind (LNOB). This session Kolkata Rista also worked with National Foundation for India and the name of the project was social accountability of the transgender community.
Journey of Kolkata Rista from 2020– 2024
Current five five-year journey is memorable for Kolkata Rista, this time we got some important projects like Garima Greh, Leading From South, Kaagapay, Link Worker Schemes, Care Support Center, Countering Backlash, mental health, International Trans Fund, Seba, CRM19, NNTP, and India rebuild fund. These projects help us to reach the transgender community in a wider range.
During COVID 19 we got support from Goonj, Oxfam, Give India, UNDP, WBSACS, and OutRight International, Through this support we were able to provide dry ration, blankets, and vaccination support. This time support was not limited to the transgender community, we supported other communities as well like FSW, Migrant laborers, Auto, Rickshaw pullers, labor of jute mills, and orient factories. The police department of South 24 Parganas took rations and distributed among villagers.
During our journey we tried to reach the transgender community, stakeholders as well as civil society organizations through advocacy, sensitization programme, workshop, training, get together, health camps, and mass awareness programme (World AIDS Day, TB camping, awareness about Corona), one to one and one to group discussion.
In our journey Kolkata Rista took part national and international programme. Members of Kolkata Rista performed on trans issues in Bangladesh and Amsterdam, apart from that the organization took part various training, workshop, seminar, mass awareness programme several times in different parts in India. The organization helps scholars and students for their dissertation who are in development fields. Members of Kolkata Rista awarded from government, non government organization, companies, CSRs time to time. Another work remarkably done by Kolkata Rista and that is crisis management. From July 2022 to till date the organization solved 103 crisis cases and all are documented.
Throughout our journey we achieved many things, at the same time we lost some of our beloved members who contributed their level best for Kolkata Rista, still, there is a lot of work pending, and we have to go far for it, to date we are getting new problems from the transgender community, and as a community –based organization we need to work on that and create an enabling environment for the transgender community where they can live their life with dignity and joy.
Future planning of Kolkata Rista
Kolkata Rista is planning for some activities or initiatives for the transgender community for future and these are —-
- Old age home for the transgender community.
- Resource and skill-building center for the transgender community.
- A safe space for married transgender.
- Metal health support and counseling services.
- Helpline for the transgender community.
- Training on awareness generation on right based issues and self care.
- Building peer counseling support group and peer counsellor.
- Care and support for transgender who are living with HIV/AIDS.
Contact Details
SANTOSH KUMAR GIRI
- Phone: 9339219696
- Email: santoshrista@gmail.com
Website Details
- Website Link: www.kolkatarista.org
- Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/kolkata.rista.msm
- Youtube Link: https://youtube.com/@kolkatarista?si=so5kbHh2vPnxdnSJ
- Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/kolkata_rista
