KWETU Connectors

Fahad Rainbow Shelter

The project has been reported and we are awaiting approval.

Background

Fahad Rainbow Shelter is a two-year project funded by the Rainbow Fund.
Fahad was gay. He was gay because he was brutally murdered two years ago. Because he was gay. We will never know who did it. The police will not investigate. Fahad was a member of the organization Happy Youth Family Uganda. An organization that works with LGBTQI people and HIV.

Uganda is one of the most homophobic and transphobic countries in the world. Discrimination is punished. Discrimination leads to family tragedies. Discrimination leads to unfinished schools. Discrimination leads to unemployment or serious difficulties in finding work. Discrimination leads to difficulties in finding a home. Poverty goes hand in hand with being an LGBTQI person in Uganda. Due to discrimination. Without family support, you will not go to school. Without work, you will not have anywhere to live. LGBTQI people face family failures, state failures and market failures. The only safe place is non-profit grassroots organizations, such as Happy Family Youth Uganda. And for many, the only income is to sell sex. This increases the risk of violence, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and rape. Men who buy sex often have unprotected sex. Transgender people and lesbians will often be in trouble and face violence, but also men who have sex with men. Life is hard.

Due to the sanctioned discrimination, many LGBTQI people flee to Kampala from the rest of the country. In Kampala, there is a great need for safe houses due to the extremely vulnerable life situation – today there are only three safe houses in a city the size of Stockholm.

Facts

Country / City:

The project is conducted in Kampala, which is the capital of Uganda

Target group:

Target group is young homeless LGBTQI people.

Partner:

Happy Family Youth Uganda is our partner.

Goal

The overall purpose of the project is to create a safe home for 50 LGBTQI youth during the two-year project period. The secondary goal is to help people find a job, an education and a home. The third goal is to find a sustainable model for financing secure houses after the project period.

A home, a house, a bed, food, to love and be loved. A safe haven. It is a risk to run a project in Uganda, but our LGBTQI friends need the support. Aid not granted by the country or the families. Support from people abroad. Like the Rainbow Fund. Their support will make a big difference to people. Living conditions will increase. We care.

How

The planned activity is to rent two houses for unemployed and homeless LGBTQI people, to create a safe haven. Having a place with friendly and caring people. A place to sleep, eat, love and start planning for the future. A place that provides food, beds and covers health issues. A place to help them find a job, education and their own home.
During the project period, help and advice will be given for health, work and own housing.
During the period, we will work to find sustainable financing for the hiding place.
The purpose is to give homeless LGBTQI people a home, so that they can rest and find strength to find a job, education and their own home.

Results

The houses have been filled with young homeless LGBTQI people. They have been given a bed and food. A safe place. But we have had to change houses on a couple of occasions. The landlord does not want to rent to the target group. The neighbors have been trans- and homophobic. We have worked with safety during the project to make the residents aware of risks. The pressure has been great and the places have been filled.

We had hoped that the throughput would have been higher. But it is difficult to find housing for the target group. We had also hoped to be able to contribute to a greater extent with advice and help with work and education. But the labor market is extremely difficult in Uganda and education costs money.

We have started vocational training. Both in terms of beauty care and haircuts and also baking. During the project, they have also worked to make themselves more self-sufficient in food.
During the past year, everything has been characterized by Covid and shutdowns, which has made the target group extremely vulnerable socially and financially. The group has been hard pressed, not least during the presidential election. Fahad Rainbow Shelter has been a security with food and shelter for the residents during this time.

Status för projektet

Planning

Prel, studies

Project start

Implementation

Final report

The project was started in November 2019 and will end in November 2021

Project manager and partner

Project manager Lars-Erik Olsson

Project manager Iga Isma Happy Family Youth Uganda