Trans Organization Movement-(TOM)-Kenya

  Trans Organization Movement (TOM)

1.0 Statement of Belief:

Trans Organization Movement (TOM)  is a local community based livelihood project which was founded in 2017 by LGBTIQQ Refugees Health care Providers and Human Rights Activists. Its purpose is to enable sexual minorities engage in supporting themselves, lead quality lives and be part of programmes fighting poverty. TOM was founded to fill in a gap for services targeting Transgender boys, Transgender girls and non-conforming Persons. We want to contribute to a quality life at individual and community level. Being refugees should not be used as an excuse not to be supportive of our host communities.

Vision: A world in which all people in the community can contribute to quality life of everyone.

Long Term mission: - To create spaces in which refugees engage in full community life, enjoy happiness and are assured of fuller quality life without vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS and STIs.

Project Short Term mission (2017-2020):

To form a Community Based Organizations. 

Project goal :

To enable 120 persons contribute to efforts toward quality life, fight poverty and promote self-sustaining practices

Project objectives: 

a)  Build organizational staff capacity to effectively manage challenges such as: establishing and running a safe space in the outskirts of Nairobi-Kenya to serve between 120-150 beneficiaries a year.

1. Reorganize individuals in affiliated self-help groups for common causes such as: creating and sustaining anti-HIV/STIs support groups; create and sustain income generating support circles; create and sustain a facebook page for over 500 members; create and sustain a WhatsApp group with over 150 members; and engage in recreation/ community activities.

1. Advocate for developmental rights such as: livelihood; quality fuller sexual health; and personal growth, education and development 
2. Carryout HIV/AIDS awareness & Prevention campaigns in form of: establishing specific HIV/AIDS counselling and education days at our safe space; provide opportunities for preventive prophylactics access; engage in HIV prevention practices’ support  for all our beneficiaries
3. Establish safe spaces where vulnerabilities are addressed and victims of hate campaigns are provided legal and psychosocial services

2.0 Problem statement.

In 2017, we helped 15 members (all of them below 23 years) access the following services: formal registration with UNHCR; access HIV-AIDS-related referral services for 5; and formed a self-help space to address stigma and discrimination. We have increasingly received calls for help but logistical support is still making it impossible to come up with a fully fledged organization. We have worked toward self-determination of Refugees Living With HIV/AIDS so that it should never be an impossibility to access services. It is not easy when one has no logistical support and is able to dedicate time to promote full health care and HIV/AIDS prevention. We hope to use become a platform to create institutionalized self help spaces. 

3. 0 Solution to Problem.

We HUMBLY seek funding support from UHAI. This project will showcase the potential of Transgender and Non-conforming Persons as contributors to the vibrant life of communities. We shall inspire each other to rise up and ably defend their rights and be able to sustain themselves. To create a lasting solution to the problems confronting communities the project will do the following: Mobilize, organize and equip members with human rights defense skills; establish safe spaces to help rehabilitate traumatized victims of hate events; engage in sensitization of all categories of able bodied persons in the community about HIV/AIDS & STIs; cause opportunities where it will be possible to bring about positive change among these individuals; train staff who will properly serve the self-support networks effectively;  and build networks through which psychosocial and legal representation is possible to address abuses.

4. 0 Management:- 

We have an executive which is the highest decision making body of the organization. It is also a secretariat with a Chief Executive Director as its head working with a team of five staff. These carryout the day-to-day functions of the organization. At community level (i.e. Basic Communities) where majority of  individuals live, as well as established youth self-supporting groups.

5.0 Focus Areas:

We are involved in activities which are aimed at promoting the health and general development of sexual minorities. Among the activities are – 

• Mobilizing and organizing all categories of able bodied persons in the community into self-help groups.
• Setting up different learning spaces in form of workshops, seminars and conferences with the aim of accommodating everyone in as they are
• Promoting and protecting the rights of all categories of able bodied persons in the community
• HIV/AIDS prevention among all categories of able bodied persons in the community 
• Build capacity of all categories of able bodied persons in the community and groups
• Collaborate with international Human rights organizations around themes such as: rights, work, experiencing happiness and accountability.

6.0 Long term impact:

We shall build well organized and well coordinated networks. Our main activities will be: a full awareness of rights; regularly meeting for purpose of enhancing their human rights knowledge; /HIV/AIDS Prevention Practices; efficient organization in form of a secretariat; ensure the community will be best positioned to effectively protect their rights on an informed basis; legally challenge any human rights violation; and ensure anti-poverty programmes are accessed by all persons in the community in order for a stable generating income business culture to grow.

7.0: PROJECT STRATEGIC PLAN:

 Strategic objectives:

      a)  Build organizational staff capacity to effectively address challenges

1. Reorganize individuals in affiliated self-help groups for common causes

1. Advocate rights
2. Carryout HIV/AIDS awareness & Prevention campaigns 
3. Establish safe houses to relocate victims of hate campaigns
4. Provide psychosocial and legal services to victims of a hate campaigns

 Strategic outcomes/outputs:

We shall execute a series of activities to strengthen the operation of the secretariat and support structures in order for us to serve the community effectively. The board and management took office effective from 2017 and ensured mechanisms for formal registration will take place by end of 2017. We shall engage in organization development, establish administrative structures, procure necessary equipments for the organization secretariat, train staff and affiliate leadership, develop a human rights community platform to deepen Human rights at community levels, aggressively create Human right awareness amongst its members, engage in HIV/AIDS & STIs Prevention support and Anti—poverty drives.

Project Activities June 2017- May 2018: 

1. Identify Transgender and Non-Conforming Refugees with whom to form a support organization. 
2. Design a generic concept note and use it to solicit funds through reaching to organizations that have requests for applications or call for proposals.
3. Establish and consolidate an executive team.
4. Identify social services in the vicinities and come up with a psychosocial services map.
5. Once approved, establish a safe drop-in space that opens all week from morning to evening.
6. Use space for three purposes: HIV/AIDS Prevention support space; Income generating demonstration space; and administrative purposes
7. Network with Kenya-based and International organizations as we seek to become fully self-determined.
8. Start a Refugee Income Generating Activity Group with the aim of encouraging making money as a growth& development life planning skill for beneficiaries.
9. Form and sustain the Trans-Anti HIV support Group
10. 10.Establish dedicated work plans for life planning education, growth and development counselling and guidance for beneficiaries at our drop-in space
11. 11.Work with Kenya Civil Society to address gender and sex based violence