LGBTIQ+ people in Zimbabwe suffer human rights abuses, homophobic attacks, discrimination and rejection at home, school, workplaces and public healthcare facilities. Homophobia and national laws that criminalise same sex relationships create barriers for LGBTIQ+ community members. Hands of Hope plans to build a safe-space to provide shelter, psycho-social support, school retention programs, vocational skills training and clinical facilities for at-risk LGBTIQ+ people in Zimbabwe.
Hands of Hope is an LGBTIQ+ led organisation offering Mental Health services, HIV/AIDS and SRHR clinical services to the LGBTIQ+ community in Zimbabwe. Through our programs and involvement in the lives of LGBTIQ+ people we have realised that a huge number of LGBTIQ+ identifying people in Zimbabwe are: homeless, suffer from mental health problems, bullied at school, discriminated against at work and stigmatised when they seek healthcare services from the public healthcare service providers.
The safe space will provide temporary and long term shelter, psycho-social support, a resource centre, school retention programs, vocational skills training and clinical facilities for at-risk LGBTIQ+ people in Zimbabwe. The safe space will empower LGBTIQ+ youths in every aspect of their lives including building their self-esteem, economic empowerment, increasing their access to LGBTIQ+ friendly and ethical healthcare services as well as enhancing their capacity to advocate for their rights.
The project will provide shelter to 30 homeless LGBTIQ+ people at a time as well as improve the well being of LGBTIQ+ people, educate 100 LGBTIQ+ people per year through vocational skills training and promote access to non-discriminatory healthcare services
