Covid19 Lockdown Effects on SAF Members

SIMMA AFRICA CREATIVE ARTS FOUNDATION-  PRESS RELEASE

The Ugandan government's response to COVID-19 has only deepened pre-existing hierarchies that make LGBTIQ+ people vulnerable to online harassment and physical violence. Homosexuality is criminalized in Uganda so In 2016 me and a group of Intersex and Transgender women who faced stigma, discrimination and social challenges at workplaces founded Simma Africa Creative Arts Foundation a non-profit membership organization (REG 80020001425005) where we opened a Creative Art Workshop for LBTIQ youth and urban SW refugees teaching them TVET, GBV awareness, Financial and Digital Literacy, Counseling, Capacity Building and Economic Empowerment.

With the COVID-19 Lock down in Uganda our Resource Center and Workshop have been closed for over a month now. This has led to a halt in our economic empowerment project that helps us provide economic stability for 42 of our members and their families. With an additional 21 days on the Lockdown and an unforeseen future our members are starving and those who are HIV+ (26 members) have not been able to get their ARTs refilled. This situation is honestly very scary for our members. We used to provide our members with one meal and transport and for some this was their only meal. The Resource center also served as a safe house for 16 of our members but with the new COVID-19 restrictions we have had to reduce the number to 10 in order not to get evicted. This situation calls for people to stay home but 50% of our members have no homes, no income generating activities . We have come to the conclusion that there will be no "back to Normal" but we need to try and adjust in this new environment.

As an organization we have been cut-off from our peers, support systems, medical relief and safe space. There is a spike in mental health issues and stress among some of our members who moved in with their relatives during this COVID19 period. Most Relatives are very religious and cultural and have subjected our members to reeducation and constant reminding that they are cursed and will burn in hell fire for their "gay tendencies".

Our existence is at risk, we are excluded from the social, health and economic emergency measures put in place by our government.