Help LGBT Refugees Eat
Donation protected
Would you spare the cost of a latte to help 8 people eat? USD 5.- will feed 8 LGBT refugees in Kenya for one day.
I met some Ugandan refugees in Nairobi. They were selling handicraft to support their cause. I asked them what the cause was. They looked around, worriedly, and whispered to me
- We are LGBT refugees.
- Oh, ok, I replied.
They looked at me surprised.
- You don't hate us? You're not scared?
- No. Why would I be?
- People here hate us. Even our families hate us. We had to flee our homes because people wanted to kill us.
- Man, that's unbelievably sad and heartbreaking.
- Yes. Would you like to buy a bag to support us?
- My friend, I'm travelling and my luggage already is overweight. However, I can give you some of my time, I can give you tips to sell, I can reach out - I know the LGBT community is really strong and caring. Let me see what I can do.
Since that meeting, my friends have donated USD 430.- to help these 8 refugees. I went to visit them with a film maker and we started shooting some footage to tell their stories.
Their monthly budget is:
- Rent: 80.-
- Food: 160.-
- Meds / phone / transport: 40.- (approx).
- Total: USD 299.- (including processing fees)
Yes, that's right: USD 299.- covers pretty much ALL costs for 8 (yes, EIGHT) people for one month. That's less than USD 40.- per person.
They cannot work in Kenya as employers won't hire LGBT people out of homophobia, one could work remotely but needs a laptop (we're looking for a second hand one, price should be about USD 200), I'm looking for organisations to help them (UNHCR and HIAS no longer do).
The arrangement I have with them is that every time someone donates money, they go shopping and take photos and videos of all they bought, the meals they cook, the receipts. They understand transparency is SO important and they have been so greatful, they even usually underspend and they don't want to seem greedy.
I met some Ugandan refugees in Nairobi. They were selling handicraft to support their cause. I asked them what the cause was. They looked around, worriedly, and whispered to me
- We are LGBT refugees.
- Oh, ok, I replied.
They looked at me surprised.
- You don't hate us? You're not scared?
- No. Why would I be?
- People here hate us. Even our families hate us. We had to flee our homes because people wanted to kill us.
- Man, that's unbelievably sad and heartbreaking.
- Yes. Would you like to buy a bag to support us?
- My friend, I'm travelling and my luggage already is overweight. However, I can give you some of my time, I can give you tips to sell, I can reach out - I know the LGBT community is really strong and caring. Let me see what I can do.
Since that meeting, my friends have donated USD 430.- to help these 8 refugees. I went to visit them with a film maker and we started shooting some footage to tell their stories.
Their monthly budget is:
- Rent: 80.-
- Food: 160.-
- Meds / phone / transport: 40.- (approx).
- Total: USD 299.- (including processing fees)
Yes, that's right: USD 299.- covers pretty much ALL costs for 8 (yes, EIGHT) people for one month. That's less than USD 40.- per person.
They cannot work in Kenya as employers won't hire LGBT people out of homophobia, one could work remotely but needs a laptop (we're looking for a second hand one, price should be about USD 200), I'm looking for organisations to help them (UNHCR and HIAS no longer do).
The arrangement I have with them is that every time someone donates money, they go shopping and take photos and videos of all they bought, the meals they cook, the receipts. They understand transparency is SO important and they have been so greatful, they even usually underspend and they don't want to seem greedy.
Organizer
Frederick Kermisch
Organizer
Geneva
