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RISE the film
07/13/2021
Rise Inclusive Youth Project
Uganda has 1.4 million #Refugees as of 2021. of these 52% are womxn 23% are youth with majority being South Sudanese.
They work mainly in the informal sector due to the challenges they encounter like language barrier, lack of required experience, #discrimination based on nationality, gender and #sexuality This has led to more Refugees joining the creative industries, but they face difficulties there as well. This documentary will explore and help bring awareness to the challenges that Creatives from marginalized communities have experienced and are still experiencing during the Covid19 pandemic.
When covid 19 came we had no idea that life was going to change. Our workshop was closed , gigs canceled, work done not paid for, we had no way of creating content or make money. On top of this friends and relatives were dying and needed support that we could not offer. Its impact has created deeper stigma to what we were already facing as marginalized and queer creatives.
Building an Inclusive Creative community is particularly important. This helps us preserve and document the work past and present creatives have been sharing. Throughout #herstory and #history we find that we as #Africans cannot trace our roots or find content that speaks to our heritage, that is why it's very important to use #digital tools like social media platforms to share critical content that tells the true narrative of #African Creative Artists
Worse still, the imposed lockdown in Uganda exacerbated some lived realities: psychological distress, stigmatization, incidences of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), attacks, police brutality, double victimization, exploitation, and neglect.
While the story would mean doom and gloom, Simma Africa Creatives Foundation was at the heart of championing social justice for refugees. Through this documentary, we embarked on amplifying their voices and telling stories of some of the injustices witnessed in the camps. This was all geared to sparking dialogue and debate on socio-economic issues that disproportionately affect refugees who identify as straight or queer during the lockdown.
By sharing testimonies and the untold experiences of unique minorities amongst the refugees, the documentary equally takes a stab at showing their uniqueness and diversity as fashion designers, photographers, videographers, artists living with host communities and the disruption to their secure livelihoods and content creation.
Supported by the HIVOS EA , R.O.O.M program, Simma Africa is contributing to its New Ways of Working for creatives by including the voice and roots of an African femxle storyteller: a grandmother. In addition, creatives' using digital spaces to monetize their work was explored as an avenue of alternative spaces they can utilize to stabilize the disruption to their income.
The documentary: RISE will be launched from 14th July 2021 to 31st July 2021. Watch out for the documentary and highlights by following our social media pages on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube including Instagram story
About Simma Africa
Simma Africa Creative Arts Foundation (SAF) is a feminist youth-led organization founded in 2016 by and for Queer Fashion Designers, Photographers and videographers that focuses on improving livelihoods of Queer Refugee Youth and the protection and promotion of their rights and freedoms in Uganda.
About Author
Natasha Simma is the founder and creative lead of Simma Africa Creative Arts Foundation. She champions the use of alternative spaces where AGYW and Queer refugees can freely express themselves without stigma and discrimination and challenge the silence that comes with censorship in a polarized society.
https://twitter.com/hivosroea/status/1415246298593300481
https://east-africa.hivos.org/news/refuge-in-storytelling-the-story-of-simma-africa/