Towards Elimination of Violence against LGBTQ+ Refugees at Dzaleka Refugee Camp

Funded by The Julia Taft Fund for Refugees (October 1st 2023 to September 30th 2024)

The project promotes a whole-of-society approach, a shift from the old vertically led response, where the Malawi government and UNHCR lead a response in accordance with the normative framework for refugee protection without any room for refugee community to provide feedback on service delivery quality, to a horizontally coordinated response, where multiple actors respond to needs based on comparative advantages, rather than formal mandates. Led by CHeRA LGBTIQ+ Human Rights Camp Activists will conduct social accountability activities to monitor if NGOs and UN Agencies have mainstreamed LGBTIQ+ issues in their programming. The project activities are composed of training of LGBTIQ+ refugee activists in social accountability approach called community voice in action. It upskills representatives of the LGBTIQ+ refugee community to take up agency for the realization of their full rights, it facilitates non-confrontational dialogue between LGBTIQ+ refugee community and all UN agencies, NGOs and government departments delivering services in the camp. It promotes a culture of mutual respect, rights based and gender affirmative approach to social accountability through community voice in action. It promotes inclusion and equity through orientation of the host village leadership in community voice in action approach and through interface meetings with host community leadership. Inclusion is further promoted through the training of cultural and socio-economic mediators who provide meet and greet, camp orientation, refugee and asylum status determination process literacy and camp system navigation, and hand holding support for new arrivals, closeted and all at risk LGBTIQ+ refugees who need support in Dzaleka Refugee Camp.

Epidemic Control Maintaining Targets

Funded by PEPFAR/USAID/FHI360 (October 1st 2019-30th September 2024)

Since 1st October 2022 CHeRA is implementing HIV prevention and treatment services through peer led models driven by peer educators, navigators and outreach workers at the community and district level. CHeRA leads mobilization, education and is active in the provision of support for district health offices to provide mobile outreach services in safe spaces where male sex workers convene in confidence in a total six districts. CHeRA will base its strategies on the HIV cascade, with a reach, test, treat and viral load suppression model for HIV prevention, and provision of quality life for the KP living with HIV (KPLHIV). In FY2023 CHeRA will implement activities focusing on objectives 2 and 3 of the EPiC.

Objective 2: Attain and maintain control of the HIV epidemic control among key populations. Objective 3: Improve program management, health information systems, human resources for health, and financing solutions to attain and maintain control of the HIV epidemic.

HIV and Human Rights Scale Initiative

Funded by UNDP (01st August 2024-March31st 2025)

This project seeks to address the multifaceted challenges faced by KPs in Malawi, from legal barriers to healthcare access, with the ultimate goal of improving their overall health outcomes and quality of life

Support for Diversity Forum in Malawi

Funded by ARCUS Foundation (1st July 2024 – 30th June 2026)

Support for estaliching The Diversity Forum as a strauctured legal entitiy. Building the capacity of Malawi’s only national network for LGBTIQ and sex worker led organizations into a solid movement leader.  To build a strong network that can attract and retain new and old funding and leading coordination of community led organizations.

Governance Systems and Program Capacity Strengthening for Diversity Forum in Malawi

Funded by The Other Foundation (1 July 2023 to 30 June 2025)

To create a more structured, sustainable, and knowledge-driven platform for LGBTI advocacy in Malawi. This will be achieved through a comprehensive approach that includes developing and implementing governance frameworks, programming policies, and systems for the DF by December 2024. A key component of this initiative is building the capacity of 9 DF member organizations in critical areas such as advocacy, leadership development, institutional governance, LGBTIQ movement building, and resource management.

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