Trans-Help Combating Aids & Transphobia

Mohsin Khan, Co-Founder and CEO of Youth Advocacy Council, a youth-led organization in Pakistan, using evidence-based research, AI and Digital technology aiming to accelerate SDGs. In his project Trans-help, an app supported by AI aims to combat transphobic stigmas and prevent youth and 50,000 Transgenders from HIV/Aids and other endemic diseases. In the past, he has worked with the KOICA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Government of Pakistan, ECHO, DFID, and READ Foundation, where he led various programs centered on socio-economic development in South and Southeast Asia and Africa, specifically in the realm of women's empowerment, Peace, Human Rights, Health, Girl’ Education, and (e)governance. He has been awarded various national and international awards including Global Ambassador Fellowship by KDI School of Public Policy and Management, South Korea, Young Leaders Fellowship by Asia-Europe Foundation, DICE Fellowship by British Council, and Asia-Pacific Youth Parliament for Water among others.

Transgenders are 12 times more at risk to affect from HIV/Aids and are continuously denied access to the health services and often stigmatized in Pakistan and beyond. Through this inclusive app, supported by AI and GPS, our team aims to combat transphobic stigmas, educate 50,000 transgender and youth and empower them to protect and secure their lives from not only aids/HIV but other endemic diseases. This app provides 24/7 tele-health and legal aid support, provide user friendly guidelines and educational assistance on how to prevent endemic diseases, safe sex practices, and how to reach to nearby police station and hospitals in case of emergency. Besides digital outreach, our project seeks to educate and create a national trans-alliance to end transphobic stigmas, uphold their human rights, and improve health, education and employment status of most marginalize community (transgenders) in Pakistan. Our team comprised of young doctors, lawyers, police and AI experts. 

Transgender in Pakistan confronts a culture that perpetuates discrimination, particularly health marginalization, leaving them in a miserable condition. The transphobic stigmas and alarming spread of HIV/AIDs in Pakistan, posed various challenges, as both crime and HIV cases are growing at alarming speed among Trans community. The official sources claimed that HIV is prevalent among 5.2 percent of total 90,000 transgender (mainly due to unsafe sex) while the number of HIV-infected people in Pakistan has crossed 165,000. Besides, the perpetual rise in violence, rape and murder of Trans-people, calls for a holistic approach to tackling not only discriminatory stigmas but to ensure that Trans-health and Life are secure and protected. 

Besides cultural and institutional challenges, the trans community itself do not know what are their rights and how to save them from the spread of HIV/AIDs. The unsafe sex among trans people is also one the leading reason for the spread of HIV/AIDs. Being mindful of heart-wrenching state of transgender persons’ rights, especially Young Transgender, we gears up to uphold rights of transgender persons by digital nudging to enhance understanding of transgender rights and between people through changing people’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.

Our initiative focuses on combating HIV/AIDS epidemic (besides transphobic stigmas) amongst transgender (particularly the trans sex worker) through training, advocacy, massive campaigning and developing a digital tool “Trans-help” that have in-built chatboot to respond to critical challenges faced by any trans-who registered via our app and portal. The project also entails sensitizing general public and service delivery institutions (Hospitals), Religious leaders, Media and youth for the Trans-health and Rights.Through participatory learning and sharing the project will enable the transgender to access better health facilities and reduce transphobic stigmas. We use digital nudging to enhance understanding of transgender rights and between people through changing people’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.

Over 50,000 transgenders across Pakistan will get benefit from this initiative and we anticipate to also sensitise and educate more than 10,000 students (age 15-29), primary health workers, 30,000 young professionals including doctors, lawyers, journalists and law and enforcement agencies in Pakistan.

In the context of growing sexual violence, health, and human rights disparity, this proposal aims to strengthen people and trans knowledge, improved and enhance HIV/AIDS prevention directives to align with global, regional and national initiatives. The project also seeks to support and advance peer knowledge on these diseases and human rights violation, that also contribute towards improving access to social protective services under the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) not only to the transgenders but also other young people and enabling environment to reduce stigma and discrimination against transgender through sensitization sessions and innovative behavior change communication strategy.

In 2007, I won a national story prize on conceiving idea to use religious institutions to prevent HIV/aids in Pakistan and beyond. However, when I joined the development sector and laid a foundation of youth advocacy council, I came to know the plight of infected people for the first time. By visiting hospitals, meeting and listening to the stories of patiences, I came to know how much transgenders are suffering from the rage of the society. How much pain these smiling face hide beneath. This interaction led to design something special, however, due to studies and government job, I couldn't focus on project. However, last year while coming back from Africa, I decided to use digital technology to change the attitude of the common people and prevent transgenders from aids/HIV endemic. I discussed the idea with my team and especially CTO Babar (a young leading Ethical Hacker), President YAC Mr. Awais, and other staff members, who provided initial support and we applied to Gilead Sciences, who then provided initial funding to launch this app and other interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination against transgender through sensitization sessions and innovative behavior change communication strategy.

As I described earlier, the trans community is most marginalized and always been close to my heart. In addition to that, the empirical evidences also suggests that trans communities globally and especially in Pakistan continue to face oppression and deprivation in terms of health, employment and education. Therefore, it is significant to invest in initiatives that focuses on their education, awareness, and protection as well as changing attitudes of and other people to create an enabling environment for them to excel as most beneficiary member of the society. 

As a mid-career professional, I have profound expertise in Project Planning, Management, developing MEAL frameworks, creating e-M&E systems, impact evaluation, developing policies and fostering external partnership between Government, Private sector and & Donor community in South/East Asia and Africa. I lead a team of over 3000 staff in the past and managed a portfolio of over 100 million US$ program that benefits over 1 million population in Asia/Africa. As a Co-Founder and CEO of the Youth Advocacy Council Pakistan, I am also operating one of the leading Cybersecurity firm Securitywall.co applauded by ebay, Microsoft and other corporations in the world. I Advisory Member to CIVICUS-World Alliance for Citizen Participation where I provide strategic and technical support to Global Solidarity Fund, aiming to bring digital disruption in human rights across the global south. I hold master in international development from KDI School of Public Policy and Management, South Korea and held various trainings and courses at Oxford, Moller Institute, Diplo-Foundation, MITx and SNU in design thinking, AI, entrepreneurship and e-governance. Therefore, I am fully prepared to excel as MIT solver and manage this project effectively. 

In high ultra-conservative society, speaking about Education especially the Sexual Reproductive health, raised huge public distress and threats to our local team life. A week before our first progress meet, I sat with my local team and found major flaws in the implementation strategies that I established. I didn't value and contextualize the local customs and such a radical idea would be a failure. I decided to visit the place and arranged a Parent-teachers and Mosque leaders meeting. While first two days were intense, harshly negating our project by the local elders saying that "NGOs are here to demolish our culture and values" However, I just sum up their concern and develop a new strategy. I negotiated with Mosques and convince them about how locally engaged female teachers/lady health workers will sensitize women and how mosque leaders will be engaged to monitor this initiative after necessary training. This trick was successful and we started the Master trainer training and successfully manage the sensitization and community awareness campaigns for more than 20 schools and benefited over 500 Girls. However, I learned a lesson that never imposed any development scheme without consulting the local team and community.

In high ultra-conservative society, speaking about Education especially the Sexual Reproductive health, raised huge public distress and threats to our local team life. A week before our first progress meet, I sat with my local team and found major flaws in the implementation strategies that I established. I didn't value and contextualize the local customs and such a radical idea would be a failure. I decided to visit the place and arranged a Parent-teachers and Mosque leaders meeting. While first two days were intense, harshly negating our project by the local elders saying that "NGOs are here to demolish our culture and values" However, I just sum up their concern and develop a new strategy. I negotiated with Mosques and convince them about how locally engaged female teachers/lady health workers will sensitize women and how mosque leaders will be engaged to monitor this initiative after necessary training. This trick was successful and we started the Master trainer training and successfully manage the sensitization and community awareness campaigns for more than 20 schools and benefited over 500 Girls. However, I learned a lesson that never imposed any development scheme without consulting the local team and community.

Youth Advocacy Council Pakistan, I am Co-Founder and CEO and oversaw all project and partnership activities. 

Using cost-effective easy to use technology to educate transgenders about their rights, preventing them from HIV/aids and ending transphobic stigmas in Pakistan.

• Trans-help is digital platform designed to help and support Transgenders and youth to prevent HIV/Aids, Sexually transmitted disease and create a healthy, balance, protective and conducive environment for victims of transphobia and enable them to be a productive member in the society. It specifically focuses on:
• Behavior Change customize outreach , including awareness regarding HIV Treatment and prevention and transphobic stigmas
• Distribution of Information and education material regarding HIV prevention and treatment, STI symptoms and use of Condoms, PrEP.
• Assist Transgenders and youth in voluntary & confidential HIV Counseling and testing (VCT) services, diagnosis and treatment of various Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) through our partners
• Tele-health and particularly Psycho-social counseling for TGs and community
• Assisting in lodging FIR and ensure safety of Transgenders by providing accurate nearby police stations
• Assist in employment, skill development and counseling
• Referral support and linkage into CBPO Centers with strong follow-up

To strengthen and enhance specialized knowledge and skills of our target groups (Trans) on HIV/AIDS, Sexual health and other endemic diseases through digital app;  resulting in securing and protecting trans-gender’s social, health and economic rights in Pakistan. The short and long term outcomes are as follow:

• By the end of the project, at least 50,000 transgenders will have increased specialize knowledge on transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDs and other diseases along with their human rights and psychological support.
• By the end of the project, at least 150 key stakeholders have been sensitized and are more aware of the challenges and current trends affecting the transgender population and willing to provide a supportive environment. 
• By the end of the project at least 10,000 young doctors, media representatives as well as university students along with Transgenders being engaged as master trainers/ambassadors to further disseminate trans people health rights in the province.
• By the end of project at least 600,000 viewers in Pakistan will be reached and sensitized on Trans-health and rights based articles, social media compaigns and news columns

In the past, we served 300 Transgenders, 4000 students across Punjab provinces.

This year, we will serve more than 1200 transgenders and 1000 students in three districts namely Lahore, Peshawar and Swat.

In next five years, we aim to reach 50,000 transgenders and 10,000 students in Pakistan

In next few years, we aim to establish Youth Advocacy Resource Center, an evidence based data-drive training and skill development center in Islamabad connected to 34 districts wise Free Legal Aid Committees (FLACs) that faciliate free legal aid, provide data to our digital disruption unit and donors.

Our goal is to reach more than 1 million transgenders and young professionals to educate and train them over STDs/Aids/HIV and other endemic diseases and design an inclusive data driven resource centers in Pakistan, Nepal, South Africa, Mongolia, Brazil and Albania. 

We also anticipate to add more features including voice and speech recognition so that disable youth and transgenders can use it effectively. In addition, we will digitalize the public and private Care, Treatment & Prevention and Data Support Center through Geographical Access and Information Management System, to analyze HIV/Aids and Violence case, prevent transphobia, increase access, care, treatment, demand & supply to reach & engage maximum people online and break the silence of people living with HIV/AIDS, youth, vulnerable population, transgender and high risky behaviors. This Center will connect Quality Health Care Seekers to Quality Health Care Providers through real time reach, mapping, information, locations, contact and to approach the identified CTPs and using AI.

There are various challenges that are impediments to our growth and achieving vision. However, primarily, we lack financial support that may help us to re-design better and effective projects, train and hire new technical staff in deep learning, AI, app development and programming, as well as establishing a fullflegde office. 

We have volunteers and advisory team that comprised of senior professionals to help us occasionally in app development and project proposals. We get some funding from Good Thinkers Organizations, and currently have some funding from Gilead Sciences to upgrade this app and project. However, we still need technical and financial support (worth 150,000US$) to hire more professional permanently that can help us to reach our goals. 

Good Thinkers Organization for Human Development Pakistan

Gilead Sciences United States

UNDP Pakistan

Pathfinders (going to have a partnership)

Beautifull Hearts against Sexual Voilence Mongolia

its purely a non-profit model and we don't charge any fee or subscription cost.

While currently our Social Enterprise Securitywall.co, providing consultancy to corporations, organizations, government and individual on cybersecurity, that raise some money for our social causes, however, we plan to make agreement with firms and care centers, that may provide subsidize treatment to the patients we refer.

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50,000US$

• A funding prize of USD $150,000.
• Professional management and development services, mentorship and coaching, educational training, capacity building, and connection with influencers, industry leaders, and experts
• A tailored media and marketing campaign aimed at amplifying our work, building recognition and inspiring other to join our cause. 

As a youth-led organization using technology, we will be interested to partner with other similar organizations, venture capitalists and seed funders who support IT for human rights and tele-health services such as AIDs/HIV and other diseases. We are always open for collaboration with regional and international partners including UN, INGOs and IGOs including Bills and Melinda Gates Foundation to support grass-root initiatives led by youth in developing countries. More specifically, we seeks support in terms of:

• Financial and Technical consultation chatbot development and data portal;
• Mentorship to develop its business model, and
• Development of a technical roadmap to roll out Transhelp deliverables and evaluate milestones in Pakistan and other regions affected by transphobic stigmas and HIV/Aids and STDs

Since, our solution currently doesn’t supports speech recognition and text to speech conversion in local languages such as Urdu, Pashtoo. While, we we identified the relevant technology solutions, however, access to those datasets is difficult and expensive which make a young organization like us into much difficult situation. Hence, we are always open to collaborate with AI and Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) graduate at local universities, senior advisor at research centers who volunteer themselves for this noble cause and assist us in providing more advance solutions. We are particularly interested to be:

• Partners with NLP, AI, RASA, Dialogue Flow, Google and Data experts and groups that are experts in content/subject matter, in order to help us examine, and improve our project, be able to utilize their tech fully, and if they offer products to us voluntarily.
• In addition, we are interested to get into an acceleration group to advance our project including MIT graduates/current students. 
• At last, we are interested to be partner with health care providers, UNFPA, WHO in Pakistan and US or beyond, who can assist in providing medical supplies to HIV positive transgenders and support them in rehabilitation.