About the Project
# **PROJECT SAHAS – Health, Dignity, Empowerment & Social Inclusion**
**Project SAHAS** was launched on **1 September 2023** by **Chhattisgarh Mitwa Sankalp Samitee** in collaboration with **India HIV/AIDS Alliance** to promote health, dignity, empowerment and socio-economic inclusion of transgender persons across Chhattisgarh. The project follows a **community-centred approach** focused on healthcare access, mental health support, gender-affirmative care, HIV prevention, livelihood opportunities, social welfare and community empowerment. Through the programme, transgender persons have received healthcare referrals, counselling, skill development, livelihood support and assistance in accessing government welfare and entitlement schemes. The project also facilitated referrals to **AIIMS Raipur** for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), Gender Identity Disorder (GID)-related care and other gender-affirmative healthcare services. During the reporting period, **2,181 transgender persons were registered against a target of 2,400**, demonstrating extensive community outreach and engagement. **210 individuals** were linked to gender-affirmation care services, while **395 individuals** benefited from social welfare and entitlement schemes. Community participation remained strong, with **334 individuals** participating in support group meetings and community sabhas. Day-care shelter services recorded exceptionally high demand, with **1,063 transgender persons accessing services against a target of 480**, reflecting strong community acceptance and effective service delivery. Under IEC and awareness outreach, **1,778 transgender persons** were reached against a target of 1,920. In crisis mitigation services, **61 individuals** received counselling and referral support; the lower uptake was primarily due to the absence of major crisis incidents during the reporting period. Importantly, **more than 90% of reported crisis cases were successfully resolved** within the project duration, demonstrating effective response and referral mechanisms. Health services remained a major component of SAHAS. A total of **1,020 individuals were screened for HIV, 911 for STI and 69 for TB**. Among those screened, **92 HIV and 368 STI cases were initially reactive**. Confirmatory testing was completed for **499 HIV and 346 STI cases**, resulting in **78 confirmed HIV-positive individuals, all of whom were successfully linked to treatment, achieving 100% linkage to care**. For TB, **32 individuals were confirmed after testing, with no positive cases detected**. Significant progress was also made in social welfare and entitlement access. **142 individuals were linked with TG Cards, of whom 131 successfully availed related services**. Aadhaar linkage was completed for **8/8 beneficiaries**, PAN cards for **4/4**, and driving licences for **6/6**. In addition, **92 Ayushman Bharat–PMJAY cards, 68 E-SHRAM cards and 233 ABHA cards** were successfully issued. Progress in voter ID, ration cards, disability IDs, labour cards and caste certificates remained comparatively limited due to documentation and procedural barriers. Under **Gender Affirmation Care (GAC)**, **131 of 142 TG Card-linked beneficiaries** availed services, while **54 of 68 individuals** received GID certificates. **43 beneficiaries accessed Hormone Replacement Therapy and 23 received laser treatment**, with full uptake against the planned services. Advanced procedures such as **facial feminization, top surgery and bottom surgery** could not be accessed at the required scale due to limited specialist availability and high treatment costs. At the community and institutional level, the project conducted **15 social welfare camps, 18 health camps, 21 crisis response meetings, 59 sensitisation meetings and 38 community sabhas**. **CAB meetings achieved 4/4 targets and law enforcement meetings achieved 2/2 targets**, while **2 TG Welfare Board meetings** were conducted against a target of 4. One legal aid camp was conducted, and the parent network meeting was successfully completed. Mental health camps could not be conducted during the reporting period due to the unavailability of specialised professionals; however, individual counselling and emotional support continued through available project services. The project also promoted **livelihood development, self-help initiatives, skill building and economic empowerment**, enabling transgender persons to strengthen their financial independence, confidence and participation in society. Overall, **Project SAHAS demonstrated strong performance in outreach, healthcare access, gender-affirmative services, social welfare linkage, community participation and institutional engagement**. The programme has created meaningful pathways for transgender persons to access essential healthcare, identity documents, welfare schemes, counselling, livelihood opportunities and gender-affirmative care, while strengthening their dignity, self-confidence, social inclusion and equal participation in society.
