RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — On a recent afternoon, a group of friends gathered in a building on the corner of a street in Rawalpindi — the twin city of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad. It’s a place where they can dance, sing, read magazines, and mingle.
And for many, it’s one of the incredibly few places they can be themselves, supported, and respected.
The building is home to the community-based organization Dareecha Male Health Society, which works to prevent and treat HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in marginalized communities in Pakistan, including the transgender community. “Dareecha” is an Urdu word describing a window that allows light to pour in.
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About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
