Our work

OBJECTIVES

To ensure equitable justice for transgender persons the project focuses on the following broad objectives: 

1. To create an enabling environment to ensure equal opportunities, equity, social justice & empowerment of refugee transgender persons through shelter and resource centers. 
2. To encourage voluntary action and participation of all stake holders for ensuring effective social integration of transgender refugees. 
3. To expand outreach activities for protection of rights and entitlements of transgender refugees in the urban and refugee camps. 
4. To promote individual and group endeavors by transgender refugees for self-employment and other social-educational services. 
5. To strengthen the existing implementation machinery and create facilities for coverage of all transgender refugees. 
6. To minimize numbers of raids/arrests of transgenders and shelters by police.

STRATEGY 

The approach of this project is to make available the whole range of services necessary for transgender refugees. With a view to include transgender refugees in the mainstream of society and actualizing their potential, the project would be on the following key strategies: 

1. Survey & Identification of all Transgender refugees in the urban and at refugee camps and issue of certificates etc. 
2. Skill upgradation and entrepreneurship development training, supply of Self Employment Kit and strengthening Self Help Groups. 
3. Support for Critical Health Care support for transgender refugees. 
4. Provision for Legal Aid and advice, counseling and guidance services for transgender refugees in distress. 
5. Organization of Community Awareness, sensitization and campaign on rights of transgender refugees and training of staff and volunteers.
6. Availability of emergency fund and cash flow set for making bails in cases of arrests of transgender refugees.

SURVEY & IDENTIFICATION 

No accurate estimates on transgender refugees are available yet except those of crude estimates. It is important to note, however, that accurate figures are unavailable due to the fact that no formal estimation of the number of transgender refugees living in Kenya has been conducted. RTI has taken initiatives to conduct a survey on transgender refugees, results of which are yet to come. In view of the above facts RTI proposes to conduct survey and identification of transgender refugees in the urban and refugee camps from time to time with the help of associations of transgender refugees and others. This survey and identification process will help RTI to enroll all of them in different schemes and programme so as to benefit firsthand in the proposed project. 

PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT 

Transgender refugees often seen moving on the streets, market places and are engaged in anti- social activities being deprived off from mainstream society and family life. The prolonged oppression and deprivation often leads towards personality disorders. Transgender refugees with personality disorders and deprivation will be identified and provided with essential counseling and guidance services, behavior therapy and socialization support under this programme. 

Under this programme support for following will be admissible: 

1. installation of helpline 
2. honorarium to counselor
3. honorarium to IT staff engaged for operation of telephone, computer & social media 
4. office furniture & equipment 
5. personality development training 
6. expenses for telephone, computer peripherals  
7. Shelter provision and other contingencies.

SKILL UPGRADATION TRAINING 

The component aims at providing skill development trainings to the transgender refugees to enable them to start income generating activities on their own or get gainfully employed in some sector or the other. 

• Eligibility 

1. A beneficiary should be a transgender refugee above 18 years of age. A copy of the refugee identity card issued by UNHCR will be required. 

1. Funding Pattern 

The assistance will be provided to the extent of $100 per transgender trainee per course comprising of 200 hours and maximum of thirty trainees in a course. In order to encourage the transgender community to come forward to avail the benefits of this project, an additional amount of $20 as stipend will be provided per trainee per month. 

Illustrative list of trades may include: 

1. Carpentry 
2. Computer Center 
3. Craft Center 
4. Fruit Preservation & Vending Training 
5. Jewelry making Training
6. Photography Training 
7. Spinning & weaving training 
8. Leather Art Training 
9. Tailoring Training
10. Beauty Parlour 
11. Cooking/Catering Services 

SELF HELP GROUP 

Group based business activity can be good options for the transgender refugees. Formation of Self- Help Groups by transgender refugees can be useful. The SHGs duly constituted and registered with RTI will be supported with one time assistance of $500 for initial activity support and start-up capital. The programme envisages to promote the SHGs through skill upgradation, entrepreneurship development training, book keeping and accounting, knowledge of market and some basic skills about activity etc. We will partner with NGO / Voluntary Agencies / institutions/ capable agencies with good track record and professional competence to successfully implement such training. The training institution so selected must have barrier free arrangements and disabled friendly arrangements for training.

SENSITIZATION OF WORKERS & ACTIVISTS ON TG ISSUES 

Issue concerning transgender refugees is a cross cutting issue for many line departments and a number of officers and staff of RTI and other departments that are involved in providing different services to the transgender refugees. Many of employees due to lack of adequate basic knowledge and information of problems and issues concerning transgender persons are unable to handle the matters relating to transgender refugees. To address the issue special provision has been made to sensitize Govt. officials, NGO heads, PRI members, corporate managers and such other officials on issues relating to transgender refugees. 

COMMUNITY AWARENESS 

Services and infrastructure for rehabilitation of transgender refugees are rapidly increasing and institutions in govt., NGO and even corporate sectors are coming forward to work for the transgender refugees. But due to want of proper information on availability of services for them a major section of transgender refugees are unable to take the benefit of those available services. To sensitize the transgender refugees and their families on services, schemes and programme available for them.This could encompass information regarding the transition process, hormone treatment, or information surrounding specialized psychosocial, medical, or legal assistance.  

Under this head following activities will be admissible: 

1. IEC material preparation (print/ electronic) 
2. Organization of fairs/ festivals 
3. Publication of magazines/ news letters 
4. Cultural shows 
5. Community level meetings/ campaigns 
6. Posters, Hoardings, Banners 
7. Events for transgender persons (sports/cultural) 

LEGAL AID RESPONSE 

With this project look at creating partnership with a legal help individual or organization that is sensitized on these risks, and responsive to situations in which transgender refugees are confronted by legal challenges, including detention and arrest, on account of documentation issues and sexual orientation.This will be effective mostly if we have a set aside cash flow that will enable us to afford a lawyer and bail for the transgender refugees in police custody.

HEALTHCARE ACCESS  

This project will aim at providing transgender shelters with medical supplies for emergency cases and first aid kits.We also seek to partner with a health-care provider that will provide services to transgender refugees without discrimination and with understanding as they will also have undergo the sensitization program.This will also make it possible for transgender refugees to get access to hormonal therapy and HIV/AIDS therapy.

LIVELIHOOD RESTORATION 

Through this we will carry out a survey on what livelihood can be implemented within transgender refugee shelters that will create sustainability of the shelter and a sense of employment to the beneficiaries reducing the risks that comes with survival sex work practices.

Such livelihood programs might include: Art program,kitchen gardening,poultry etc.

PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT GROUP THERAPY 

The formation of this could mirror the model explored in terms of the transgender refugee community, and incorporate the sustainable elements of community-based protection inherent in the CBO-led psychosocial intervention where transgender refugees themselves facilitate sessions minimizing the rate of suicide attempts and monitoring mental health/depression chances.