Blog2021

Year: 2021

BREAKING BARRIERS TO SEXUAL & REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS FOR TRANSGENDER PERSONS IN UGANDA.

On the 15th June 2021, Tranz Network Uganda hosted a project kick-off meeting on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for transgender and gender diverse Ugandans. Breaking barriers to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights for transgender persons is a one year project aimed at reducing stigma, discrimination and rejection of the trans and gender diverse people seeking SRHR services in Uganda.

The goal of this project is to raise SRHR awareness and knowledge in the community, as well as the trans and gender diverse people. In addition to advocating for inclusive service provision and providing SRHR services to trans and gender diverse people.

We would like to express our gratitude to all of the various stakeholders and Amplify Change, the sponsor of the project.

DECLASSIFICATION OF NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS FROM THE LIST OF ACCOUNTABLE PERSONS

Tranz Network Uganda along other Non-Governmental Organisations on 21st May 2021 as a team presented a policy brief on the justification to declassify Non Profit Organizations in Uganda from the list of accountable persons under the 2nd schedule to the AML-Act 2013 as amended and this was compelled by Defenders Protective Initiative-DPI to the Financial Intelligence Authority.

According to the brief, promoting well regulated non-profit organizations is critical to any effective and comprehensive anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime. It also states it is critical to use a risk-based approach to money laundering and terrorism financing in order to avoid interfering with the operations of the legitimate non-profit organizations.

“HIV/AIDS PREVENTION, CARE AND SUPPORT FOR TRANSGENDER PERSONS IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF UGANDA

Tranz Network Uganda (TNU) with funding from Infectious Disease Institute (IDI) is implementing a one-year project entitled “HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support for transgender persons in central region of Uganda” the project focuses more specifically on two districts of Wakiso and Kampala. The project targets to reach out to 510 transgender persons with HIV counseling and testing as well as sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening. The services are provided using two models; mobile (community outreaches) and static (Drop-In Center). The project began in October 2019 and continues to this day.

Overall aim of the project:

To increase access to equitable HIV/AIDS services and opportunities for Transgender persons in Uganda.

Objectives of the Project: The HIV prevention, care and support for transgender person project in central region was proposed to achieve the following objectives;

  • To increase HIV awareness among the transgender persons in Wakiso and Kampala districts
  • To advocate and promote equitable HIV services for transgender persons in Wakiso and Kampala districts
  • To provide HIV testing and STI screening to 510 transgender persons in Wakiso and Kampala districts
Activities being implemented:
  • Community outreaches on HIV counselling and testing.
  • ART client follow ups to ensure drug adherence and viral suppression,  
  • Conducting referrals for HIV/AIDS positive transgender persons
  • Static HIV testing and STI screening for transgender persons at the TNU Drop In Center.
  • Social networking, information and experience sharing sessions.
  • Partnering with healthcare providers for referral and support:
  • Trainings on; “HIV/AIDS, Human Rights & The Law”, “SRHR”, “Gender & Sexual Diversity”, “Health Literacy”, “PEP & PrEP usage by Peer Educators” among others.

Trehss Project

Trans Responsive Health Systems Strengthening Project, is a two-year project implemented by Tranz Network Uganda. The project will run from January 1st, 2021 to December 31st, 2021. The Trans Responsive Health System-Strengthening Project supported by OSIEA and will be implemented in three (3) regions of Uganda (Eastern, Western, and Central). This project will be addressing the challenges of limited access to health care services, stigma and discrimination of trans gender and gender diverse persons in Uganda. The project also aims to drive health systems in the fore mentioned regions towards a rights-based service delivery approach.

Overall Goal of TREHSS Project: To improve access to and utilization of integrated health services that effectively respond to the specific needs of trans and gender diverse persons in Uganda.

Objective 1: To increase demand, access and utilization of integrated health services in a safe, friendly and transgender led environment

Objective 2: To strengthen the responsiveness of the public health facilities to trans health needs

Objective 3: To strengthen capacity of TNU to support effective demand and utilization of existing health services by trans persons in Uganda.

KEY ACTIVITIES:

  1. Establishing three (3) Regional Drop in Centers of Excellence (DICE) in Central, Eastern and Western Uganda
  2. Project baseline assessment (Demand, access and utilization of mental health, HIV/AIDS, SRHR by transgender and gender diverse persons)
  3. Capacity building and support of community support persons (mental health counsellors, Peer educators etc.)
  4. Mental health awareness boot camp
  5. Mental health first aid outreaches and group therapy activities
  6. Building capacity of 9 model transgender friendly public health facilities (3 HCFs in Central region, 3 in Eastern region and 3 in Western region).
  7. Training of sixty (60) health workers on rights-based approach to health care delivery and transgender health care
  8. Training of thirty (30) trans community members/health service monitors on community score card approach
  9. Quarterly health service score cards at nine (9) health facilities
  10. Biannual regional reflection and health services advocacy meetings based on score card data with key stakeholders
  11. Development of trans health mobile application to increase uptake of health services.

Tree Project Launch

On the Friday 20th November, 2020, Tranz Network Uganda held an event to launch a new initiative entitled the Transgender Resilience and Economic Empowerment (TREE) project. The launch was attended by heads of the network member organizations, representatives from the Board and various stakeholders both physically and virtually.

What is the Tree Project?

The TREE project is an eighteen (18) month livelihood and economic intervention program funded by American Jewish World Service (AJWS).

The transgender people in Uganda over the years have been one of the most marginalized populations. An environment rich in Trans phobia fueled by social cultural biases have seen a large number of transgender persons drop out of school and left with no formal sources of income.

The TREE project aims to build social capital and resilience of Trans community members in Uganda through the formation of saving groups (VSLA model), promotion of financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and vocational skills development and linkage to other social economic empowerment activities.

Project Goal:

  • To contribute to the economic transformation of Trans gender persons in Uganda.

Project objectives:

  • To enhance VSLA skills among 90 transgender persons in Uganda by March 2022.
  • To increase employment opportunities among 90 transgender persons through vocational skills development by March 2022.

Key activities to be conducted include;

  • A baseline needs assessment of the livelihood/economic empowerment needs and available opportunities for the targeted transgender persons/beneficiaries to inform the project design.
  • To organize beneficiaries into groups based on Village Saving Loan Associations model where beneficiaries will be grouped with 15 members and trained on VSLA principles and methodologies.
  • Training of group members on leadership, financial, literacy, income generation activities and roles of good leadership.
  • Equipping of group members with saving tool kits which include lockable metallic box, pass books, stamps, record books, writing materials etc. Each group is expected to run a saving cycle of up to 12 months after which they can share their savings and begin a new cycle.
  • Training of group members on entrepreneurship skills including enterprise selection once they have begun saving.
  • Support vocational skilling for eligible members identified through the groups to provide Trans persons with employment skills, competencies relevant to the labor market.

This project is informed by the Trans specific needs assessment conducted as part of the Cross-Border collaboration Health project where over 56% of members expressed interest in adopting the VSLA skills.