Partners

Founded in 2022 by Nikunj, a transman and member of the District Transgender Welfare Board, Tapish Foundation is a community-led, trans-led organisation addressing systemic barriers faced by transgender persons in Madhya Pradesh. It works across healthcare, housing, and livelihood inclusion, centring care, dignity, and leadership.

Its key initiative, Mera Kunba, is the state’s first shelter home for transgender persons. It provides temporary housing, post-surgery recovery care, and psychosocial support for those facing violence, eviction, or crisis. The organisation also facilitates access to legal aid and health services while engaging public institutions to strengthen accountability and inclusivity.

Beyond direct support, Tapish nurtures peer-led networks, capacity building, and advocacy, enabling transgender persons to take up leadership and shape decisions that affect their lives. Rooted in community experience, the Foundation works toward long-term systems change and collective well-being.

Project with MHI 

Tapish Foundation’s partnership with Mariwala Health Initiative (MHI) builds on its flagship initiative- Mera Kunba, the first shelter home for transgender persons in Madhya Pradesh, to strengthen trans-led, community-led mental health support in Indore. The project addresses psychological distress, violence, and displacement through accessible, rights-based care.

Tapish will establish a Drop-in Centre offering guidance on entitlements, documentation, skill-building workshops, employment, and healthcare, alongside crisis response, counselling, and legal aid. A Queer-Trans Library will provide books and digital resources, and storytelling sessions, serving as a safe space for learning, reflection, and community dialogue. Expansion of Mera Kunba will increase residential capacity, while the Advocacy and Leadership Development component will strengthen engagement with government departments, hospitals, and police to promote sensitisation, accountability, and trans-affirmative policies.

Through community leadership, access to services, and social inclusion, the project seeks to create a model of holistic mental health care that upholds the dignity, autonomy, and well-being of transgender communities.

Vision: Building a society where every transgender person lives with dignity, equality, and justice.

To find out more about Tapish Foundation, head to their website here.