- M
- M
Help Us Save Uganda’s Only Accessible LGBTQ Safe Shelter for Persons with Disabilities
Uganda remains an extremely hostile environment for LGBTQ persons due to widespread discrimination, targeted violence, stigma, and criminalization. For LGBTQ persons living with disabilities, the risks are intensified. Many face multiple layers of exclusion, including lack of accessible housing, reduced access to services, and heightened vulnerability to violence and homelessness.
The Diverse Empowerment Foundation (DEF) Uganda established the Safe Village Shelter to respond to this urgent protection gap. The Safe Village is currently Uganda’s only accessible LGBTQ safe shelter, specifically supporting persons with disabilities.
This fundraiser is an emergency effort to prevent the closure of this critical shelter.
For many residents, the Safe Village is not simply housing. It is the difference between safety and danger. Many of the people supported through this shelter have experienced:
- Rejection from family and community
- Homelessness and displacement
- Disability-related neglect and exclusion
- Violence, abuse, and humiliation
- Limited access to health care and protection
Because the shelter is accessible and disability-inclusive, it supports people who are often excluded even within emergency spaces.
Diverse Empowerment Foundation (DEF) Uganda is a feminist, disability-led organization working at the intersection of LGBTQ rights and disability justice. Our work is grounded in care, protection, inclusion, and dignity for the most marginalized communities.
The Safe Village Shelter is part of DEF’s core mission, providing a rare, life-saving space for disabled LGBTQ persons who have nowhere else to go.
Due to severe funding cuts and rising operational costs, DEF can no longer sustain the shelter without emergency support. Shelter operations are costly, particularly because accessibility and disability support require additional resources.
Without urgent funding, the Safe Village faces a real risk of closure. This fundraiser is designed to keep the shelter open while DEF continues engagement with long-term institutional donors and partners.
Your Donation Supports
The Safe Village’s monthly survival costs, covering essential expenses such as:
- Rent and Utilities: Keeping the shelter functional and stable.
- Security: Protecting residents in a high-risk environment.
- Food and Basic Essentials: Daily meals, hygiene needs, and medical basics.
- Disability Support Services: Essential staffing and specialized assistance.
- Connectivity and Communication: Internet and communication needed for advocacy, safety, and coordination
You can support this emergency effort by:
- Donating: Every contribution directly supports shelter operations.
- Sharing: Amplify this campaign across your networks.
- Standing with us: Help protect disabled LGBTQ persons from displacement and harm.
Your support keeps someone sheltered. Your support keeps someone safe. Your support affirms dignity, inclusion, and humanity.
Thank you for standing with the Diverse Empowerment Foundation and helping us keep the Safe Village Shelter open.
Organizer
