Anti-Gay Law - Ugandan Queer NGO Rent Support
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We are raising funds for mutual aid for the Foaster Foundation for Health Care Uganda (FFHCU). Uganda has passed some of the most strict anti-gay laws and has been actively trying to shut down NGOs that serve the queer community. The FFHCU has offices to run programs on HIV education and prevention, a shelter space for members of the queer community, and economic empowerment programs that include urban gardening. Please check the updates listed below
Currently, the Foaster Foundation is facing the loss of their office and shelter space, and we are urgently raising funds to help pay their rent and ensure that the members at Foaster do not lose their home and security. Any additional funds raised will be used to reinvest in their programs including urban farming, a future in-house healthcare clinic, and improvements to their offices and water storage tank to support them in being self-sustaining in such a hostile socio-political environment. Check this video of the founder of Foaster Foundation explaining the NGO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqK_AJS1mkg
UPDATE 2 January 2024:
There are several factors affecting the Foaster Foundation into the new year. The funding goal has thus changed from 6,000 to 15,000 euros. Additional funds would go towards supporting the Foaster Foundation and its members for:
- Housing: Unfortunately the landlord has increased their rent from 3 million (~625£, or ~725€) to 3.5 million (~725£, or ~845€) Ugandan shillings. As of now, FFHCU have no money for rent and need to backpay December 2023. The landlord is requesting rent money before the end of January 2024 and wants 6 months payment in advance.
- Legal Support: There was another police raid and three members were arrested and taken to court, two were remanded to prison and the other was given a police bond.
- Nutrition and Sleep: The number of members in the shelter has increased to 25. Sufficient food is one of the greatest immediate problems they are having. The increase in people means there are not enough beds and people are sleeping badly. Currently two people are sleeping per single bed.
- Future Goals and Economic Empowerment: The shelter wishes to be able to open their health clinic to serve the community by the end of April. Additionally, the shelter has independent economic projects, like raising hens to sell eggs. The shelter did not have electricity for some months, which resulted in security issues and dozens of their hens being stolen. Additional funds would help support these projects, and ensure greater security for the office and shelter space from police raids and thieves.
UPDATE 1 September 2023: Since the start of this fundraiser, the members of the Foaster Foundation have faced numerous new challenges. While the director was visiting a member in the hospital who had been beaten, the shelter space was raided by the police and 10 members within the shelter were arrested on charges of homosexuality. They are currently in jail so the funds that have been raised since the middle of September are going towards paying their bail and legal fees.
To give a short context from Human Rights Watch (https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/30/ugandas-president-signs-repressive-anti-lgbt-law):
The Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 criminalizes same-sex conduct, including potentially the death penalty for those convicted of "aggravated homosexuality." It violates multiple fundamental rights guaranteed under Uganda’s constitution and breaks commitments made by the government as a signatory to a number of international human rights agreements.
Anyone advocating for the rights of LGBT people, including representatives of human rights organizations or those providing financial support to organizations that do so, could face up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the “promotion of homosexuality.”
Human Rights Watch research found that people faced a notable increase in arbitrary arrests, police abuse, extortion, loss of employment, discriminatory evictions by landlords, and reduced access to health services because of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
The institutionalization of discrimination and stigma caused by the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 would drive communities away from life-saving services, and obstruct health workers, including civil society groups (like the Foaster Foundation), from providing HIV prevention, testing and treatment.
Further Information about the hosts and fundraising beneficiary:
- Foaster Foundation for Health Care Uganda (FFHCU) is a grassroots youth-led organization to promote meaningful involvement and collective organizing of youth living with HIV to strengthen a unified, vibrant, national, and sustainable youth-led movement in Uganda.
- Hosts: Slightly Conscious Monkey’s (https://shorturl.at/tU356) is a queer not-for-profit solidarity collective based in Berlin, Germany. We self-organize solidarity events that showcase queer talent in performance art and music and raise funds for organizations that serve queer and marginalized communities.
We thank you for your time and consideration, and hope you have the capacity to share this page/donate!
Organizer
Hania Hribal-Kornilowicz
Organizer
Berlin
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