Discover 6 Nonprofit Organizations that are Making a Real Difference in their LGBTQ Communities
Happy Pride Month! 🏳️🌈
While LGBTQ rights have come a long way, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer + communities still face a lot of discrimination. We have a long way to go when it comes to equal rights, especially in many countries in Africa and South America.
Luckily, GivingWay has a bunch of nonprofits – many of them NEW – on our site that are passionately devoted to fighting for justice for LGBT communities. ✌️ The differences they’ve already made are amazing and they’re on the path to create real, lasting change! 👏
Discover 6 Nonprofit Organizations that are Making a Real Difference in their LGBTQ Communities:
- Enza, South Africa
- Key Populations Uganda, Uganda
- Asociación Silueta X, Ecuador
- EMAC, Kenya
- LGBT Voice Tanzania, Tanzania
- Aids Initiative, Youth Empowerment and Development Organization (AIYEDO), Tanzania
1. Enza
Where: South Africa
Enza is a nonprofit organization that works to improve access to social, health and justice services for LGBTQ+ communities through advocacy and training in South Africa.
South Africa has one of the highest rates of rape in the world, including so-called “corrective rape”, targeted at lesbians and Enza works to address this gender-based violence.
Frontline workers, particularly police officers, often fail survivors of violence by not being aware of their obligations, time-frames and procedures.
Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP – taking antiretroviral medicines after being potentially exposed to HIV to prevent becoming infected) is available at public clinics in most centers in South Africa, but there is no national campaign to alert or educate the community of the treatment and its availability.
Enza has worked with private and public organizations to deliver a range of programs. They dream of living in a world where there is no hatred toward members of the LGBTQ community. Their work is dedicated to women who rest in peace after falling victim to lesbian hate crimes.
Enza is looking for volunteers to help convert their current learning materials to an online learning platform so they can increase the reach of their programs. Their content covers topics such as human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, gender violence, etc. They also need help with scripting and guidance with how best to represent the content online. As well, their looking for video savvy volunteers to help create related short videos.
Learn more about Enza >>
2. Key Populations Uganda
Where: Uganda
Key Populations Uganda (KPU) is a youth-led organization working to improve the health, rights, and safety of the LGBTQ community in Uganda. Key populations refers to those who inject drugs, homosexual men, transgender persons, sex workers and prisoners. Around the world, key populations face much higher rates of HIV and AIDS than the general population and are most at risk for contracting HIV.
They’re a support organization for LGBTIQ, sex workers as well as refugees. KPU focuses on the sexual health, advocacy, safety and security, community mobilization and HIV/AIDs awareness and prevention for all LGBTIQ and sex workers. Formed first as a group led by LGBTIQ who were coming out, as well as men and women who were already out or having feelings of loneliness or isolation due to their sexual orientation.
Key Populations Uganda is a growing grassroots organization, and is in need of volunteers who are good at fundraising, monitoring and evaluation work and information technology. They’re looking for a volunteer to help them develop an app to enable health service delivery for Key Populations In Uganda.
They’re also in need of technical persons in the fields of finance, grant writing and proposal drafting, as well as volunteers ready to join their team in the fields of community outreach among others.
Learn more about Key Populations Uganda >>
3. Asociación Silueta X
Where: Ecuador
Asociación Silueta X fights for LGBT rights in health, education, employment, justice, art, culture and citizenship in Ecuador.
Their mission is to defend the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersex populations.
Asociación Silueta X has coordinated various actions to increase equality and social tolerance towards sexual minorities. They’ve already achieved much; they’ve succeeded in including more gender identity options on identity cards, the legal recognition of the name changes for trans people, cleared LGBT murders, created the first LGBT medical center, created a booklet for LGBT children, and more.
The group publishes the Victor Víctor magazine, which includes monthly content on the impact of HIV / AIDS among transsexuals and human rights. In addition, they were one of the organizers of the Second International Congress on Sexual Diversity Studies.
They’re looking for volunteers who can give workshops, promote local volunteering, carry out activities and actions according to the organization’s principles. Fundraisers are also needed, and those who can source economic resources and donations.
Learn more about Asociación Silueta X >>
4. EMAC
Where: Kenya
EMAC is an NGO that promotes health and human rights, access to justice, economic empowerment and good governance for the marginalized communities in Kenya (LGBT, sex workers, people who are addicted to drugs, adolescents and youth, young mothers and the physically challenged).
Their goal is to realize a progressive society and their vision is to have a just, socially and economically inclusive and empowered society.
Their mission is to amplify the unheard voices of marginalized communities by fostering equal access to services and opportunities through provision of comprehensive health care services to Key populations. As well, they wish to promote reliable access to justice, health care services, economic empowerment and good governance.
EMAC’s core focus areas are:
(a) Promoting access to quality health care services
(b) Promoting health rights, human rights and access to justice
(c) Promoting economic empowerment for marginalized groups
(d) Promoting good governance and accountability
EMAC is looking for fundraising support to be able to maintain sustained resources and to implement the organization’s strategic plans.
They also need help to create with an up-to-date website and increased ICT institutionalization. Volunteers who can help with capacity building on advocacy attitudes, skills and knowledge would also be welcome.
Learn more about EMAC >>
5. LGBT Voice Tanzania
Where: Tanzania
LGBT Voice Tanzania helps to advance equality, diversity, education, and justice for LGBT people in Tanzania.
Their vision is to be the leading LGBT organization in the country promoting equality and human rights of LGBT people.
LGBT Voice has created a strong, vibrant organization to meet the needs, advance the rights and celebrate the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and communities in Tanzania. They’ve established a large and diverse group of informed and generous supporters who give time, energy, and resources to LGBT issues, as well as educates the public about the nature and impacts of anti-LGBT discrimination.
All of LGBT Voice’s work is guided by a commitment to five core values:
Social justice
Building their communities and the organizations that serve LGBT people
Diversity
Openness, inclusion, and partnership
Challenging and ending anti-LGBT discrimination
LGBT Voice Tanzania is a voluntary non-profit and therefore depends on the support of volunteers. They’re looking for help with fundraising so that they can be able to raise enough funds to run their organization and all their projects.
Learn more about LGBT Voice Tanzania >>
6. Aids Initiative, Youth Empowerment and Development Organization (AIYEDO)
Where: Tanzania
Aids Initiative, Youth Empowerment and Development Organization (AIYEDO) is a community-based organization that provides health services, youth empowerment and community development, much like their name suggests! 😉
They’re dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS using a public health-based approach, health education, services and advocacy for policy reform through in depth partnership with the community in Tanzania- Zanzibar.
AIYEDO is committed to fighting against HIV/AIDS, STDs and TB and gender discrimination while promoting advocacy and human rights. They provide health education and service support to the community, empowering and supporting youths through health, economic and education while promoting new standard of hope and equality of involvement and participation by all people without discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Their vision is a world free from HIV/AIDS and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression. A world in which youth and people with disabilities are empowered politically, socially and economically and care is accessible for all and everyone has the same access to right, health services and opportunities.
Also, the world with better development in health, water resources and good environment conservation for biodiversity.
They focus on:
- Age-discriminated vulnerable groups notably the young and elderly
- People living with disabilities
- Women and children facing exploitation, abuse and/or violence
- LGBTI, Key affected people and gender sexual minorities
Their core value hinders on responsibility, accountability, dignity, hard work and transparency.
Learn more about Aids Initiative, Youth Empowerment and Development Organization (AIYEDO) >>
We hope this list of nonprofit organizations committed to fighting for LGBTQ communities has inspired you to join and help make a difference 😄