ISLAMABAD: Chandni was always skilled at drawing back at school and she was equally creative making decorative items, but before she found a small organisation to help her hone her skills she was begging in the streets.

Chandni, who is transgender, began working with an organisation run by law student Maha Irfan Chishti. Three months later she was able to exhibit home accessories she made, from smaller items such as trays and coasters, to lamps and stools, at the Serena Hotel on Wednesday.

Chandni had completed her matriculation before she was forced to live on the streets, and said she loved to paint. “But I had no opportunities or anybody to help me,” she said.

Then, around three years ago, Ms Chishti and some friends decided to begin educating transgender people hoping to bring some improvement to their circumstances.

“But education was not enough to put food on their tables,” Ms Chishti said. “This year, I employed some of them and a carpenter and taught them vocational skills that are necessary to be able to earn a living in a more dignified way. Most of the work on display are their ideas and it is all their effort,” she said.

Chandni was among six craftspeople who held the exhibition. The business courtyard at the hotel was buzzing with guests, admiring the display and the items on show.

There were wooden trays and coasters decorated with colourful landscapes, text and floral designs. Larger items were available too, from candle stands and lamps to wooden stands that could be used as tables and bookstands.

Sapna, who has been designing clothes, told Dawn: “Printing on wooden blocks was something new but I enjoyed it.”

Some of the guests who visited the first day of the two-day exhibition included former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and Sri Lankan Ambassador Noordeen Mohamed Shaheid.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2019