Thursday, November 14, 2024

Shattering stereotypes to become Telangana’s first transgender PMEGP loan recipient

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Asha Ashadam, a transgender photographer from Telangana who has had her share of struggles to set up her photo studio and take up her passion for photography, gets candid with The Pioneer, sharing her journey and hardships in this exclusive chat.

Rashmi Bhumireddy

Asha, as we are all aware, refers to hope. Well, that’s what kept Asha Ashadam, a transgender person from Telangana, keep up the zeal to set up a photo studio here. In the heart of adversity, Asha’s journey is one of her extraordinary strength, determination, and victory of the human spirit. Asha faced societal judgment and personal tribulations. However, her firm desire to thrive led her to a transformative encounter with the transgender community, a pivotal moment that became the catalyst for her journey.
Asha holds a PG Diploma in Hotel Management from the city and lives in Karimnagar. She has always had a zeal to do something around photography, and it was in 2017 that she became a photographer.
Speaking to The Pioneer about her journey, Asha shared, “I have a huge passion for photography. I love to take photos for my community, especially when there are events such as birthdays, weddings, and baby photo shoots. These photographs capture everyone in our community. The community members appreciated my talent and motivated me to pursue photography. Though I have learned photography on my own, I am still not aware of how to design or edit photos and make them creative and memorable. Since then, my desire to learn Photoshop and editing has led me to enroll in a computer training institute.”
This decision has turned a new leaf in her life. When she enrolled in a computer training institute to learn Photoshop and editing, Asha encountered various challenges due to her gender. She said that, being transgender, her classmates looked down on her and made fun of her. Not only her classmates, but society negatively treats her due to her gender issues. At one point, she even asked her professor, Shanti, to teach her separately. However, her professor didn’t approve her request but instead asked her to focus on classes.
On witnessing her burning passion, Shanti encouraged her to pursue Photoshop and editing courses. Asha blindly followed her professor’s words; she completed her course in photo and video editing. She also overcame several societal judgments and personal tribulations.
During her journey as a professional photographer, the Karimnagar collector advised her to approach We Hub and apply for a PMEGP loan. This small piece of advice changed her entire life.
We Hub was the place where Asha could showcase her talent to the world. She became the first transgender person in Telangana to acquire a Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) loan. This is where the WE Hub came into play.
Asha said, “WE Hub is like God sent it to me. I am very grateful to the officials, as they have supported and guided me from the start of setting up a studio. With their aid, I have finally set up my own photography and design studio. Since then, a lot of opportunities have come where I can showcase my talents. People began appreciating my work. Currently, two more members are working with me.”
However, Asha still faces societal judgment. She said, “Upon knowing my gender, some firms or clients don’t approve of giving opportunities to me, while others give me opportunities upon seeing my work. So, no matter how many hurdles life throws at me, my talents speak volumes about me. I have confidence in my talents and myself. I only request that people around me change their perspective on transgender people. It’ss really pathetic to witness such people having narrow mindsets in the fast-moving world.”
Finally, Asha proves the meaning of her name by capturing precious moments at special ceremonies or occasions.

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