As the kids in her neighbourhood would mill about the area the whole day after the pandemic kept them away from school, Vasai East resident Alia Milind Pawar decided to put her education to good use. She began playing with them and offered them goodies before coaxing them to study. From two to three children, she now gives free tuition to about 30 slum kids in two sessions.

Despite studying BSc (Microbiology), Alia hasn’t been able to land a steady job, a harsh reality for many transpersons like her. To eke out a living, she begs and blesses people. Alia said most people at Khan Compound, where she has rented out a room, are illiterate or semi-literate and can barely pay attention to their children’s education. The families barely earn Rs 7,000 a month, she said.