COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

Dear Donors,

Over the past months, Mbarara Rise Foundation has focused on strengthening the capacity of grassroots LGBTIQ advocates across western Uganda. Despite the ongoing challenges posed by Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, we have successfully trained 58 community leaders in human rights awareness, financial literacy, and practical skills such as tailoring, poultry farming, and tiling. These trained advocates are now actively supporting their peers—providing emergency assistance, sharing knowledge, and helping reduce stigma in their communities.

The need for support remains urgent. Grassroots advocates face increased security risks, economic pressures, and emotional strain as they navigate hostile environments while helping others. Without renewed funding, our ability to sustain safe spaces, cover emergency stipends, and provide legal and psychosocial support will be severely limited.

To continue building a resilient LGBTIQ movement, we aim to:

1. Expand training programs to reach additional local advocates.

2. Maintain safe spaces for meetings, mentorship, and skills development.

3. Provide ongoing financial and emotional support for frontline leaders.

4. Strengthen local networks to foster advocacy, protection, and community cohesion.

Your continued partnership enables these advocates to create lasting change at the grassroots level—ensuring that LGBTIQ individuals have access to safety, knowledge, and opportunities, even in challenging circumstances.

We invite you to join us in empowering these leaders. Together, we can transform local communities and build a stronger, safer, and more inclusive Uganda.

Thank you for your unwavering support.