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.

Trans Responsive Health Systems Strengthening Project, is a two-year project implemented by Tranz Network Uganda. The project will run from January 1^st, 2021 to December 31^st, 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.

On the Friday 20^th 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.