[Update regarding country: The UNHCR has asked us not to name a specific country or the refugee camp in this country, as they are worried about the safety of the LGBTQ refugees. The relevant government has anti-LGBTQ legislation and the local culture is often homophobic and transphobic. We are therefore going to refer to this country as East African Country No. 2 - or EAC2 for short.]
Nakafeero tells me that Canada is accepting quite a few refugees from their camp in EAC2 and that her and her group of LGBTQ refugees may be interviewed soon.
Whether this will actually give them asylum in Canada remains to be seen, but the very hope of that happening gives them strength.
Nakafeero tells me:
"We are so happy that at least we can see a change here in this camp, compared to what it was in the Kenya Kakuma refugee's camp, when no LGBTQI refugees were accepted while we were in that camp."
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has classified the situation in and around EAC2 as an emergency level 1, indicating that UNHCR is urgently stepping up preparedness efforts. This has not been easy, given the severe cuts made by the US government.
Life in the EAC2 camp itself is not getting better, however. Nakafeero tells me that several of her fellows have been sick this last month. We have no confirmation of this, but there are rumors of people poisoning their food. There are homophobes and transphobes in the camp who do not want to have the LGBTQ refugees there. For the time being Nakafeero and her group stick to packaged food, which is more expensive.
I have added a video message from Nakafeero. Transcript below.
"Hello, I am a queer leader advocating for LGBTQI+ kids in East Africa. I am here kindly requesting for help and support. We are starving with nothing to eat at all. Kids are lacking milk. We are lacking sanitary products as we use polytene bags through our periods, which affect us with aging and some infections. Here we have no medication at all. We really need help and support so that we can pass through this situation. Any coin makes a difference. Love and solidarity."
Per Koch
You can donate to Nakafeero's LGBTQ refugees and their children here
You can follow Nakafeero over at Mastodon and Bluesky.
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