Nakafeero Swabulah is a lesbian refugee from Uganda, working for LGBTQ refugees in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya as well as in a camp in South Sudan. In collaboration with other LGBTQ activist she is organizing and coordinating efforts to help queer and transgender refugees and their kids.
We ask for your support so that she and her friends can provide them with medication, shelter, food, sanitary pads, milk for babies, detergents, clothes, clean water and more.
The government of Uganda has become increasingly homophobic and transphobic, which has caused Nakafeero and many other and lesbian, gay and trans Ugandans to leave the country. Nakafeero's mother and sister were killed in their home by locals, as the villagers were searching for Nakafeero.
But Nakafeero and her crew of LGBTQ activists are in no way giving up. They are doing their best to give more than 100 LGBTQA refugees and their kids a better life in Kakuma as well as some refugees in South Sudan. She has provided them with nutritious food, clothes, hygiene products, and – for the kids – toys.
Nakafeero says:
"I do call upon anyone with support or help to please donate through our FundRazr account so that we can get much needed food, medicines and more." She draws special attention to the need for sanitary pads for the women.
"Thank you so much to anyone who will support us!" Nakafeero adds. "Your support is much appreciated!"
This funding campaign has already made a huge difference for Nakafeero and her people. We have used donations to pay for a metal fence that is now protecting their sleeping area in Kakuma. Although violent attacks from homophobic gangs are still a problem, the refugees can at least sleep safely at night. Our donors have also funded better bathrooms in both Kenya and South Sudan.
The Kenyan authorities do not accept being persecuted as an LGBTQ person a valid reason for being a refugee in the country or for being resettled to another country. Quite a few of the LGBTQ-refugees in Kakuma have therefore moved to a camp in South Sudan. South Sudan is not more LGBTQ friendly than Kenya, for sure, but many of the non-South Sudanese refugees in that camp have been resettled to countries like the US and Canada, including friends of Nakafeero. Nakafeero's people are therefore in the process of moving over to South Sudan. Now that the Trump government has suspended its refugee program, this has become increasingly difficult, but we will keep our donors posted on that development.
The crowdfunding campaign is organized by Nakafeero together with Per and Susanne Koch. The Kochs are living in Oslo, Norway. All proceeds from this campaign go to Nakafeero, her crew and the LGBTQA refugees in Kakuma and South Sudan.
Supporters will get updates on the work of Nakafeero and her crew.
Nakafeero AKA Claire has been interviewed by Transgender World. You can ready the story here!
On how we manage the donations.
LGBTQI+ Worldwide, collecting links to the larger network of Nakafeero and her allies in the camp.
