Child Protection Tanzania, United Republic of Project #18357

Donate to support Usalama House- LGBTQ safe space

by LGBT Voice of Tanzania

Project Report | Sep 1, 2015
Progress report

By Mohamed Salehe Ally | Deputy Director

Morita De Chuwa on his bed at Usalama House

Usalama House project is excited to bring you this update from the field, thanks to our supporters for making it possible for us to support LGBT youth who are homeless and hopeless, because of who they are.

Though our organization is committed to ensuring all LGBT youth have equal opportunities to access education, health services, shelter and having a family, there are many challenges hindering our progress, including reliable source of income which makes it more difficult to implement this project as planned. Due to the fact that there are little financial resources we have dropped 5 LGBT youth and now serving only 7 out 12 who were benefiting from Usalama House Project, and we are only sheltering 3 youth.

There are many LGBT youth who need help and support but it is now becoming a dream that cannot be translated into reality. In September 2014 we identified 33 LGBT youth who need shelter, meals, clothing, health care and skills but we were able to serve 12 in the beginning and now we are serving 7 not because the others do not need the support but due to lack of funds.

Yuri was enrolled for training as a fashion designer but it has not been possible for us to pay his fees and he is back on the street and hopeless again. There are also three youth who are on the waiting list to go to school but, it is very unfortunate that we have to let them down.

We are making a public appeal for help so that we can be able to raise funds and these poor youth, we are the only hope for their future. We depend on individual donation as our main source of income.

Morita`s Story:

I am very grateful to Usalama House for giving me this opportunity to have a place to live, before coming here I used to sleep in night clubs, and sometimes ask friends to allow me in their homes for some nights but they were not willing to allow me in because they thought I would leave their homes because I had no place to go, it was a very difficult moment for me having no permanent place to live. I have no word to use to thank the founders and leaders of this organization for bringing me here, I can eat good food, sleep well, have a nice bed to sleep and there people I can trust and share my problems. Last week I was sick they took me to a hospital and everything was taken care of, got treated and I`m now fine.

I wish there were many places like this so that no youth would suffer, because there are many who need to live like me, Thanks to LGBT Voice.

Permalink

Jun 11, 2015
Progress report

By Mohamed Salehe Ally | Deputy Director

Zamiri in newly designed shirt

Since the launch of Usalama Shelter for homeless LGBT youth in September 2014, the project have managed to offer direct servises to 48 LGBT youth in Tanzania. The services offered include temporary shelter 12,meals 32 and education sponsorship 3.

Our recent findings show that hate against LGBT individuals is increasing due to the recent introduction of the anti-LGBT legislation entitled "The Bill to Prohibit and Control any form of Sexual Relations between Persons of Same Sex, 2014" and the number of homeless youth who need help is at increase because so far 78 youth have called in our office but due to the financial position we could not serve them all, we are still working on finding the best way of sustaining this project. There is still a great need of support to ensure that there is no Homeless LGBT youth in Tanzania and also increase a number of LGBT youth who are skilled and ready to be employed.

Here is story from Braison one of the beneficiaries from this project:

Hello, Braison here,

I am the fourth born among seven children in our family, while growing up I used to play with girls not boys and all my stuff was for girls, my parents always punished me and never wanted me to behave like a girl. Their hate grew every day but they could not stop me from being Gay, none of them knew or realized that I was gay. In June 2014 I came back from school for short holidays and my elder brother tricked me, then he learned about my sex orientantion and told my father. That day my father planned to kill me at night but fortunately my Mother learned about the plan and hepped me ran away.

I ran away from home and went to Dar es salaam but had no relative or friend in the City, while on the streets I met a few gay youth who are sex workers and also joined the group but the life was more worse for me, then one of the friends told me about LGBT Voice Tanzania, I took a step and went to the office,I met some good people and they helped me find accommodation and meals and supported me for 6 months, they then helped me relocate to Arusha where I happily live and attend a vocational training centre, soon I`ll be a professional hair dresser.

Here is story from Zamiri the first beneficiary from the sponsorship project:

My dream was to become a fashion designer but lost the dream when my parents threw me out of our home, I lived on the streets, spent all my time going to party looking for men and even started using drugs, but one of the staff from LGBT Voice hold my hand and took me to their office offered me with some counselling, and they offered me a home. This was my new beggining as they helpped me pursue my dream, I`m now a designer and can meet my daily expenses. I am also helping other few boys follow my steps.Thanks to LGBT Voice, for helping me get here.

Zamiri before becoming a designer

Permalink

Mar 24, 2015
Project Report

By Mohamed Ally | Deputy Director

Mohamed sharing lunch with some Homeless youth

I would like to sincerely thank you for your generous support to USALAMA HOUSE Project,you helped us raise $1,613 and the project have served 12 homeless LGBT youth in the past seven months. Through your support our project coninually provide meals,health care and accommodation to these homeless youth.

Since the official launching of USALAMA HOUSE projet in September 2014 the number of LGBT youth who come to seek for help has increased from 3 to 52 but we can only serve 12 at the moment.

The problem of homelessness among LGBT youth is increasing because most parents think that throwing their children out of their families is the best punishment to offer. Some parents threaten to kill their LGBT children and the children decide to run away before they are killed and they end up on streets where they can not access their basic needs.

There is also an increase of LGBT youth who are expelled from public schools and once they are expelled from school they chose not to go home fearing what would happen to them if the parents will learn about the reason for them being expelled, all these reason have led to an increased number of LGBT youth live on streets, sex workers and drug users. It is evident that these Youth are victims of police harrassment, brutal attack on the streets and suden death due to poor feeding, use of execss drugs and lack of medical care.

USALAMA HOUSE still need support so that we can be able to eliminate the problem of homelessness among LGBT youth in Tanzania and also help them build their future by sponsoring them to obtain skills. The project budget is $2,000 a month and $24,000 a year.

Kindly continue supporting the USALAMA HOUSE project and help raise these LGBT youth to become good citizens and future leaders.

Permalink

‹ 1 2 3 4 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.