With government aid, transgender activist in Pakistan becomes entrepreneur and employer

As a child, Sonia Has would often cry to sleep after she realised that she was a transgender person. Social and familial ostracization, dropping out of college due to being bullied and facing several other odds were a part of her young adult life. Today, she is a successful entrepreneur running her own boutique in Lahore, which also employs tailors and workmen from the transgender community. In fact, she recently featured in a promotional video for the government scheme which funded her business. 

While Sonia has always been a determined and ambitious person, her success wouldn't have been possible without the monetary aid from the government of Pakistan under the Kamyab Jawan scheme. It aims to help the youth, especially those from the marginalised communities, to become economically self reliant. As per the information shared on Twitter by special assistant to the Prime Minister for Youth Affairs Usman Dar, Rs 8.5 billion has been disbursed under the program to 10,000 beneficiaries so far. 

Under the leadership of PM @ImranKhanPTI our govt is esp working for the empowerment of marginalised strata of society. #KamyabJawan prgm has disbursed Rs 8.5 Billion to 10,000 business so far.
Transgender Sonia Naz has started her own business with Rs 1 Million under the scheme. pic.twitter.com/C0ydi8gHla

— Usman Dar (@UdarOfficial) May 9, 2021

Naz, who recieved Rs 1 million for starting her venture, features in a video shared by Dar telling her side of the story. She can be heard saying that as an activist, she has always wanted to prove that people from the transgender community can do much more than dance at weddings. This is why she lapped up the chance to make this happen when she came to know of the scheme. 

For this she turned to her childhood hobby, and made fashion her new career. Naz said she was appreciative of the fact that this scheme does not consider just two genders, male and female. It also extends two people from the third gender. As a means of giving back to to her community, she has employed several transgender people in the boutique. 

Activists and citizens have also lauded the program for its inclusive nature. They believe that such initiatives can play an important role in helping the financial independence of people from the transgender community.