Biennial Report for the year 2004 - 2006

President : Rt. Rev. Dr. V. Devasahayam

Director : Rev. S. Christopher Rathnaswamy

Bishop - in - Madras

For there are Eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can ! (Matthew 19:12)

1. Pioneering Ministry

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ himself has declared that eunuchs are made for the kingdom of heaven and are used in God's ministry. They make themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of God. So, male, female and eunuchs are all made in the image of God. The ministry among eunuchs is done only by the Diocese of Madras, in the C.S.I and it is the pioneering effort of the church in this great mission and vision of God. The interaction, dialogue and sharing the gospel enlightened the non-eunuch community to see, to relate and to love them with all dignity as God's children.

2. The Partnership

The Episcopal Diocese of Newyork is keenly interested in knowing, relating and interacting with the eunuchs in India especially with the ministry of Diocese of Madras. There was a meeting arranged for the eunuchs with the delegates from the diocese along with the Episcopal Diocesan representative Mrs. Johanna Shaffer. 20 members from different areas working in different fields among eunuchs were present. It was a fruitful one. During the discussion and interaction it was greatly felt by all the members that there must be a clear statistical data to find out the population of eunuchs in Tamilnadu so that it will be easy to seek the government for help and to tap resources for the development and improvement of the Transgenders. The dropouts must be identified and should be put back to school and collegiate education.

The Diocese in this regard has immediately responded and paid the first year fee for Miss. T. Jeeva for her under graduation in B.Sc. Sociology. Thanks to the caring and envisioning effort of our Bishop. The committee also felt that the Publications of the lives and works of the eunuchs to be released for recognition and support and awareness among others. There was a plan to request the Bishop to form a working committee. It may have representatives from church side and from thetransgenders to make it a kind of joint effort. Under the leadership of the Bishop this committee may meet once in a month during fourth Saturdays, the director of this ministry will co-ordinate, and Miss. Noori will be the secretary.

3. The Field Visits

Random visits were made in two different areas, one in rural and the other one in urban. Two important mission centers were visited during these days along with the representative of the Newyork Diocese. SWAM (Social Welfare Association for Men) which is a skill training center situated near saidapet for eunuchs especially the MSW (men sex workers) and the TG's (Transgenders). The Sudar foundation under the leadership of Mrs. Priya Babu is striving in documentation work and in publications. Priya along with Vasanthi and others fighting for their rights and got shelters from the government near Padalam.They also stage plays to highlight the problems of the transgenders for public attention.

The transgenders suffer from AIDS due to prostitution and there is little help from the government side. There was also teaching of yoga, and other technical works for self-earning to stop them going to prostitution and begging. The other center is SIP (South India Positive) Network under the leadership of Miss.Noori who is a HIV positive since a decade. So in this NGO center the eunuchs or the Transgenders especially the HIV positives are given care, occupation and support to live long, with self dignity.

4. Future Plans

There is a need of an office or a small center in our Diocese for this great mission.
Through this center or Board the following activities are going to be focused :

• Collecting statistical data of the Transgenders in Tamilnadu with the help of different churches, NGOs and individuals.
• Finding out resources to support the continuous education of the dropouts.
• Promoting the skills, publications of the life and work of transgenders.
• Recognizing and accepting the transgenders in the church worships as full members and try to give opportunities to the theologically qualified.