The Big Four Refugee-led Kenya based Organizations; Refugee Social Support Resilience Stories

We bring you what have been named the Big Four. Three reasons have been brought forward to explain this. The first reason was that these organizations chose monikers representing some of the biggest African animals of the wilderness: Giraffe, Elephant, Buffalo and Zebra when they were undergoing a group dynamics training.

Secondly, the groups are the first of the kind to come out strongly to address four important issues facing a Transgender Person, i.e, shelter, sustainable work, self determination and sexual health: 

"By getting secure housing, Transgender persons are assured of safety and now that Kenya is about to get into Presidential Election it is getting very volatile. We have had many incidences of assault and other acts of hate/physical harm. Many of our members who are into sex-work for survival tell of stories of being beaten and not paid as well as being shamed in public. We hope that by providing shelter, income generating activities and psychosocial support we shall reduce on these abuses/vulnerability."

Henry Ssegane

Chief Executive Officer

Trans Organization Movement

"Life Planning Skills and an expectation of a fuller sexual citizenship empower and leverage one's negotiation ability in day to day situation. They are an important aspect in directing focus, enabling a Transgender Person to seek knowledge, have the right attitude, make informed decisions as well as independently go on with enjoying life without being put down or ridiculed."

Chris Ramshana

Chief Executive Officer

Center for HIV Prevention, Health Support and Education Promotion

"Imagine a setting in which a Transgender Person has the same opportunities to seek, access, execute aspirations, be able to engage in expressing desires, be assured of support and positive regard normally. That is the environment I wish for everybody be they straight or not."

Brian Bossa

Chief Executive Officer

Little Flowers Talk Organization

"If you can allow to give me the same chance like anyone else, I want to form, run and maintain a world class dance troupe. I know I can. Try me."

Richard Ssebina

Chief Executive Officer

Ganda Dance Troupe

In a study into the likelihood of a transgender person attempting suicide, often because of the prejudice, transphobia and other stressors he or she may experience, factors that may protect transgender adults from attempting suicide include: social support, self-acceptance, and access to health care that affirms their gender identity (University of Houston. "Study sheds light on protecting transgender individuals from suicide." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 October 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151008152950.htm.)

The aspect of self determination is something that may be taken for granted by many but not a Transgender Person. Why and How?

A Transgender person is faced with questions of spatial existence in time, location, how to relate while at the same being true to self. The incessant desire to be one's true self while at the same time trying to conform to what a benefactor or society demands is energy sapping.  A Transgender person has to draw on all forms of energy to survive. That said, a Transgender person is an example of resilience too.

To be able to negotiate life on another plane, to be able to negotiate life without the backing of one's own parents when one has been rejected and disowned or self-removed from one's family is a very hard decision. But......many Transgender have chosen that.

With that in mind, Peer transgender collectives are the second tier of home away from home and are spaces supporting Transgender identities. The groups took up the acronym "Big Four" on account of performing the function of support groups. The support groups have a joint mission of increasing a critical skills base among Transgender and therefore reduce reliance on expecting handouts and sex work. The support groups target a combined number of 500-1,500 Transgender. These groups have Facebook and Whatsapp talk platforms whose membership is rising everyday. In the various platforms issues are raised ranging from: health, quality life, education, shelter, income generating activities, conflicts, needs, pain, suffering and resolutions addressing aspects unique to Transgender life. This is so trend breaking and a micro-culture which if used well helps affirm Transgender Normativity. 

In a study, by Indiana University researchers transgender people who are more frequently "read" as transgender are more likely to face major and everyday discrimination, as well as verbal harassment. The linkages between gender nonconformity, discrimination and health among the transgender population, are contexts that fuel desperation, impulsive acts, attempts for suicide, to abuse drugs and alcohol and to smoke cigarettes (Indiana University. "Discrimination is linked with worse health among transgender Americans, study shows." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 September 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150929142028.htm).