Effective Local Approaches In The Africa LGBTI Context Michael Ighodaro ICARH

Introduction In Nigeria difference between LGBTI organizations and funders approaches to working with community to reach their target populations. The challenge is how to be effective in reaching the target populations, especially with the HIV positive LGBTI community and the “hard to reach” older LGBT population.

Effective Local Approaches COMMUNITY DIALOGUE COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION PEER EDUATION

Effective Local Approaches OUTREACH EVENTS SPECIAL EVENTS MSM HIV POSITIVE SUPPORT GROUP

Effective Local Approaches SENSITIZATION OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS MSM CLINICS COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP

Effective Local Approaches PALLIATIVE CARE TEAM SKILLS ACQUISITION CENTERS LGBTI COMMUNITY CENTRES

CHALLENGES 1. Need for comprehensive MSM+ programming 2. Limited funding to local LGBTI organizations in Africa for implementation 3. Emphasis on numbers and no measurement of quality of services delivered 4. Need to address stigma & discrimination of MSM+ within the LGBTI community 5. Laws against LGBT

Summary 1. Engage local LGBT community for all programs involving them 2. More emphasis on programs for MSM+ 3. Need to address both human rights and health 4. Identify and address psycho-social health needs of HIV positive LGBT

Thank-you! Micheal Ighodaro

“Effective” Local Approaches to Working with LGBT/GMT The Namibia Experience

History of the LGBT movement in Namibia From hate speech and violent rhetoric to organising as a movement Establishment of trp as a voice for LGBT in Namibia From advocacy and human rights to public health and HIV Demise of trp and community mandate for ORN Starting from scratch again- re-establishing an organisation

Organisational development in the context of dwindling resources PV as a ASO with interest in local advocacy and movement building- Tusano to Tonata Partnership and hosting agreement to support the LGBT movement- CSO to CSO support Autonomy, organisational integrity and conflict resolution

Upper middle income status and funding of LGBT organisations Dwindling donor support and increasing governmental financing of programmes- meaning for marginalised and stigmatised groups HIV funding solely for MSM; impact on wider human rights discourse; using MSM HIV funding to address structural challenges such as stigma, discrimination and rights Exclusion of LBT groups from programming and discourse on human rights; need to collect data on social vulnerability and HIV risk e.g. SGBV

Community involvement in organisational development and programming; what is LGBT led? LGBT identified board of trustees LGBT identified staff and building a cadre of interns at central office Community based structures; LGBT identified community facilitators as peer educators, safe spaces for counselling, access to commodities and referral linkages to care Collecting programme data and human rights violations in communities; an ear on the ground Extending reach (esp. the hardest to reach) through using ‘snowballing’ as a programming method.

Going beyond behaviour change communication Completing the continuum of care; social support and safe spaces MSM living with HIV; treatment and care in socially competent and non-stigmatising settings Combination prevention- going beyond behaviour change and integrating biomedical and structural interventions (SFH programme) Addressing poverty, stigma and violence (SGBV)

Advocating for an enabling environment Inclusion in national policies and programmes Current NSF and implications Global Fund CCM Ministry of Health and Social Services TWGs IBBSS Task Force NANGOF Sector representation; gender health and human rights Regional, continental and global advocacy efforts Working with multilateral partners and embassies to create a dialogue and keep the discourse alive

Monitoring, evaluation and Research Confidentiality in programming; using unique identifier codes From quantity to quality; missing the stories behind the figures Challenges in collecting violations; LGBT distrust in the criminal justice system Research; community involvement from training, planning, implementation and report dissemination Research advocacy?

Thank you