<div><strong>In Uganda</strong>, being LGBTQIA+ is not just socially risky—it is criminalized under <strong>one of the harshest anti-LGBTQ laws in the world</strong>. Since the passage of the most recent Anti-Homosexuality Act, violence and persecution have escalated dramatically:
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<li>LGBTQIA+ people face <strong>life in prison or the death penalty</strong> simply for exiting.
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<li>Allies can be<strong> imprisoned for up to 20-years</strong> for supporting LGBTQ+ friends and family.
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<li>Community members are encouraged to <strong>report suspected individuals.</strong>
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<li>Many face <strong>mob violence, police raids, or imprisonment</strong>.
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<div>For many, it is not safe to walk down their own street.
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<div><strong>A Hidden Shelter Saving Lives—Quietly, Carefully, and Against the Odds</strong>
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<div>Three years ago, a courageous grassroots community leader (whose identity cannot be revealed for safety reasons) opened a hidden safe shelter to protect those forced from their homes.
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<div>Today, that shelter is quietly sustaining more than 115 displaced LGBTQIA+ individuals.
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<div>To protect everyone involved, the shelter operates with strict security protocols:
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<li><strong>No photos are ever allowed</strong>—not of residents, not of the shelter
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<li><strong>Pseudonyms</strong> are used for all residents and staff
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<li><strong>Surveillance cameras</strong> monitor for threats
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<li><strong>An emergency escape</strong> corridor exists for sudden police raids
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<li>The founder himself faces imprisonment for providing refuge
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<div>This shelter is not symbolic. It is real, it is hidden, and it is often the only barrier between life and death.
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<div><strong>The Crisis: The Shelter Is Falling Behind on Rent</strong>
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<div>Despite the incredible compassion and determination inside its walls, the shelter is now six months behind on rent, totalling <strong>US $6,100, or CAD $8,400.</strong>
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<div>If the shelter cannot pay rent soon, it will be forced to close—and more than 115 people will be pushed back into homelessness, violence, and extreme danger.
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<li>There is no alternative facility.
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<li>No government support.
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<li>No public organization that can legally step in.
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<div>This shelter survives entirely because a few brave people insist that persecuted individuals deserve safety, dignity, and hope.
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<div><strong>Who Is Organizing This Fundraiser?</strong>
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<div>My name is <strong>Ryan Sawatzky</strong>, and I am organizing this campaign. <strong>I am a consultant and facilitator</strong> in community-led tourism, social justice, and grassroots community development.
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<div>For more than 15 years, I have worked in international development and humanitarian response, including long-term community engagement in Haiti—where I was among the few nonprofit leaders practicing <strong>direct community giving</strong>, placing resources directly into the hands of those most affected.
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<div>You can learn more about my work at:
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<div><a href="https://HTTPS//ryansawatzky.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WebSite</a>
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<div><a href="https://linkedin.com/in/ryan-sawatzky-0621647b" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a>
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<div>Because the shelter operates in a hostile environment where documentation can expose people to danger, this campaign relies on my reputation and credibility in grassroots development. I will provide safe, anonymized updates as funds are distributed.
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<div><strong>How Funds Will Be Used</strong>
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<div>Every contribution goes directly toward survival:
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<li><strong>Shelter rent</strong>: US $6,100, CAD $8,400 needed urgently.
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<li><strong>Food and drinking water.</strong>
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<li><strong>Medical care and emergency treatment.</strong>
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<li><strong>Security costs,</strong> including surveillance and safety infrastructure.
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<li><strong>Basic daily needs</strong>: bedding, hygiene supplies, cooking fuel, clothing.
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<div>There is no overhead and no salaried admin.
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<div>This is direct humanitarian relief.
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<div><strong>Why Your Support Matters—Especially Now</strong>
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<div>We are entering a season where many of us gather with friends and family, share meals, and speak about peace, generosity, and goodwill.
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<div>But for dozens of LGBTQIA+ people in Uganda, this time of year brings a very different reality:
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<li>Fear.
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<li>Hunger.
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<li>Uncertainty.
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<li>And the possibility of losing the only safe home they have.
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<div>Your gift can:
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<li>Keep the shelter open
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<li>Prevent eviction
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<li>Provide food and health care
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<li>Maintain security systems
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<li>Help over 115 people survive the holidays in safety
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<div>A donation today is more than charity—it is an act of solidarity, protection, and hope.
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<div><strong>You Can Help Keep This Shelter Alive</strong>
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<div>This campaign is about more than money.
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<div>It is about defending human dignity where it is under attack.
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<div>It is about choosing compassion over fear.
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<div>It is about ensuring that people who have already lost so much do not lose the last place where they feel safe.
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<div>If you believe everyone deserves a home…
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<div>If you believe love should not be punished…
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<div>If you believe in lifting others during a season of giving…
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<div>Please consider donating or sharing this fundraiser.
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<div>Every contribution—no matter the amount—helps save lives.
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<div>Thank you for standing with this courageous community!
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Emergency Support for a LGBTQIA Safe Shelter in Uganda

Still $8,810 to go. Help us build momentum.