The Rebuilding LGBTI Refugee Youth in Uganda project is curbing unemployment by using non-formal education and vocational training for the LGBTI youth in the Central Region of Uganda. Access For All ( AFA) works with Simma Africa Creative Arts Foundation (SACAF) and Africa Youth Action Network (AYAN) in the implementation of its projects. In addition to the employment obstacles faced by LGBTI refugee youth due to difference in education curriculum and language barrier, they also contend with policies surrounding their legal eligibility to work (NGO Act 2016 and the Penal Code Cap 120 on Naturalization). They are officially excluded from participating in Uganda’s formal economy. Moreover, some Ugandans believe that they are not supposed to employ sexual minorities since homosexuality is criminalized. Even with the right status and qualifications, it is still regarded as morally wrong to hire them. Additionally, the unemployment rate of youth is high and discrimination is a significant problem that LGBTI refugee youth face due to ageism.Most organizations require specific education qualifications, marital status, job experience, age and connections which makes it almost impossible for LGBTI youth to secure jobs. For all of these reasons, the members of AFA, SACAF and AYAN formed a consortium to work with LGBTI refugee youth for employable skills like Sewing, Shoemaking, Photography, Fashion& Design and English Literacy.

Unlocking the youth potential through literacy and empowerment skills 

What would be harder than being a refugee in any part of the world?  Harder than being an LGBTI in Uganda.  Probably the hardest is belonging to the LGBTQI refugee community in Uganda.  Uganda is well known globally for its anti LGBTQI rhetoric and policies. Young LGBTQI refugees are faced with criminalization, stigma and discrimination from community, family, institutions and even fellow refugees.  They face arrests and harassments by law enforcers, violation of rights, insults, rape, lack of access to free and friendly health services, limited representation in organizations representing LGBTQI, sex workers or refugees, unemployment and limited access to other socio-economic opportunities. As a result, they are not able to interact and mingle freely with their peers and the society in general and pursue or take advantage of the existing learning and economic opportunities where they live. Additionally, the costs of accessing these opportunities are beyond the reach of refugees who many times do not have access to income generating activities due to isolation from socio-economic opportunities complicated by language barrier. This is where Access for All (AFA) comes in to work with urban LGBTQI refugee youth in Central Region of Uganda.   

Access for All (AFA) works through advocacy, human rights and youth empowerment, in collaboration with Simma Africa Creative Arts Foundation (SACAF) and Africa Youth Action Network (AYAN). Through the Build LGBTQI Youth Empowerment project, AFA supported inclusion and integration of LGBTQI youth in transformative leadership for change while supporting initiatives to curb unemployment and appropriately address the needs of LGBTQI youth to achieve their dreams and maintain their focus. It envisages a peaceful world which offeres LGBTQI refugee youth an opportunity to participate in the socio-economic development decisions and activities in Uganda. 

To achieve this, AFA and its collaborators were able to conduct a four months training in Wakiso district for 18-35 years old refugee youth on basic literacy and language skills, offering LGBTQI youth literacy in reading and writing, followed by continuations of language, digital and legal rights. In addition to their first language, Arabic, majority of the rights holders have managed to improve their English literacy by developing a culture of reading English and using the language in basic conversations. This created a positive shift on how to connect with the Ugandan community and built their confidence living with various refugee host communities.  The general language awareness aided in enabling the refugees to remain active during and in the COVID-19 pandemic response. Additionally, the organization boosted refugee youth entrepreneurship skills and self-employment through a 6 months vocational training in shoe making, tailoring and jewelry making.  A new cohort of creatives and budding entrepreneurs have been born. To enhance participation in transformative leadership, AFA also trained the youth on leadership to address awareness on discrimination and human rights, advocacy to strengthen young LGBTQI and build the abilities to lead and increase their advocacy capacity to fight for access to resources and build allies across ethnicities for civic participation and community building. Nunu and Bol are just 2 voices of the impact this project has had in the affected community  

Nunu, a refugee from South Sudan, has always had an interest in the arts but had never had the opportunity to pursue it since the vocational schools were too costly. When in June 2020 AFA put up a call, she was one of the first applicants to be taken for the 2 months’ program. 

“I was a bit skeptical about learning the art of shoe making since I knew shoemaking was mostly a man’s job. However, during the training, I found the session easy to understand and to comprehend. I braved my fears and became creative thereby making my first shoe in three days,” she said excitedly. Nunu was even able to bring her sisters to the workshop to show them her newly acquired skills.  She is now in pursuit of capital to start up her own business of shoe making 

In 2017 another refugee, Bol, crossed the border on foot from Nimule to Elegu center where they boarded a UNHCR truck to Bidi Bidi Refugee Camp (BBRC) in Yumbe district with his two sisters. Life was not easy at BBRC but it was better than back home in South Sudan. Bol equally had a huge interest in the creative arts and in 2018, he attended an arts mentorship training in Bidi Bidi by SACAF. When SACAF later put out a call, he applied and was successful. Being from South Sudan, he faced a language barrier since his first language was Zande and Arabic as the second language with English coming third. Luckily, the facilitator for English Literacy knew Arabic and easily translated the textbook materials for him and used more visual materials like magazines to help him lean more. Over a period of 3 months and hard work, his English improved. Book clubs provided him opportunities to make new friends, practice his English reading skills and pronunciations leading to him developing new love for the language. 

“My confidence has grown and I feel more comfortable attending gatherings and trainings in English. I am also currently teaching my sisters English language using the English textbook I was given during the Access For All English Literacy classes,” said Bol.