Despite facing numerous humiliations in life, Kaveri Mary D'Souza has risen above societal insults to create a successful life through self-employment, now proudly serving as Karnataka's first transgender auto rickshaw driver.

Background

Born in Udupi, Kaveri Mary D'Souza encountered numerous challenges, including social discrimination and financial hardships. She took on various jobs in the garment industry and even sold snacks at traffic signals to make ends meet.

Today, she proudly drives an auto-rickshaw as Karnataka's first transgender auto driver. Born as Stany D'Souza in Pethri, Udupi, Kaveri grew up in poverty. As she began to notice changes in her body, she yearned to transition into a woman. While in class 10, she left home with just 20 rupees and started working in hotels in Surathkal for three months.

Perseverance

Feeling isolated and misunderstood, Kaveri, also known as Stany, left her hotel job and moved to Mysore. She spent her nights at the bus stand, surviving on food offered at temples and weddings. This continued for about three months until one day, she spotted people from her community nearby and connected with the NGO group 'Geleya.'

She began working at the NGO office, which supported transgender individuals, attracting many visitors from Bangalore. Seeing these beautiful transgender people, Kaveri was astonished; she had thought they were born women. Inspired by their confidence and beauty, Kaveri decided to embrace her true self and set off for Bangalore.

After her transformation, Kaveri struggled to find a profession and, like many transgender individuals, resorted to sex work and begging. After many years, having undergone a personal transformation, she bravely spoke out against the challenges within her own community and chose to leave that life behind.

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Starting a new life

After leaving her previous life, Kaveri worked at an NGO and later in the office of MP B Jayashree. Unfortunately, she contracted tuberculosis (TB) during this time and had to return home. By the time she recovered and returned to Bangalore, someone else had taken her position. During her illness, even those from her own community, friends, colleagues, and relatives, distanced themselves, leaving only her parents to support her. Tragically, just four months after her return to Bangalore, she lost her mother.

Following this, she returned to her hometown and opened a small shop near Kolambe in Brahmavar. However, just 15 days later, a lockdown was imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and she faced humiliation for being transgender. Despite these challenges, she made a firm decision to drive an auto-rickshaw. With the support of many, she now enjoys a fulfilling life, earning her own income and owning her own home.

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