My health, my rights, my priority.

Our project is based on the systematic exclusion of LGBT people from landlocked geographic areas in public health policies in Cameroon.

While taking a tour in our landlocked villages, it's clear that  LGBT population, strongly stigmatized and discriminated  in hospitals and everywhere else, remains ignorant of HIV. Beyond this position, which can promote the flow of HIV infection, prevailing poverty pushes young people to indulge in uncontrolled sexual practices with urban visitors from metropolitan areas passing through the village -.

we believe that an intervention to rally these uncovered areas would participate in accelerating the response against HIV/AIDS.

This project adopts a centrifugal approach (reaching out to LGBT people in isolated areas) to offer them all HIV services (prevention, care and retention on treatment), by employing young LGBT explorers given their aversion to LGBT leadership. This approach will empower and strengthen the leadership and intervention skills of our LGBT peers.

In our landlocked villages dominated by homophobia, we find that LGBT people ignore the HIV pandemic. Beyond this position which can promote the flow of HIV infection, poverty pushes young LGBT to engage in uncontrolled sexual practices with urban visitors passing through the village.

According to our HIV/AIDS Vulnerability factors survey (February 2020), LGBT people in hospitals and elsewhere experience the stigma and discrimination that limits their access to HIV and sexual health services. The main challenges they face are: access to the right information, access to condoms and lubricating gels, access to testing and treatment services. In addition, in 2019-2020, our screening activities enabled us to diagnose 138 new cases of seropositivity within the LGBT community out of 1107 people reached during screening campaigns.

In addition, no HIV program takes into account young LGBT people in rural areas who have specific needs, who derive from their sexuality and are for the most part still students or unemployed.

Specifically, this project aims to:

1. Achieve at least 95% improvement in knowledge of 60 peer educators about sexual health, peer support, and facilitation of educational talks sessions.

2. Achieve a change of at least 95% in the knowledge of 5000 young LGBT people in rural areas of west Cameroon about sexual health and HIV, in order to get them to adopt safer sex practices.

3. Provide psychological and social support to approximately 5000 young LGBT and their families to heal trauma related to HIV status or sexual orientation.

4. Promote knowledge of HIV status among around 5000 young LGBT, and promote adherence and retention of people newly diagnosed positive to antiretroviral therapy.

5. Achieve an improvement of at least 95% in the knowledge of 500 health personnel (from 500 hospitals) and of at least 90% in the knowledge of 500 local authorities in west Cameroon on the care of young LGBT people, specific needs LGBT populations in matters of Sexual Health and Rights, in order to bring them to reduce the practice of discrimination in the exercise of their functions, and to lead them to become partners in the promotion of sexual health rights.

Under this project, the beneficiaries are LGBT youth from rural areas of West Cameroon  region  aged between 18 and 35 years old.

This will give them the opportunity to get tested for HIV. HIV-negative people will be sensitized on primary HIV prevention, while people diagnosed with HIV will be sensitized on positive life and supported in the care circuit with a view to getting them to adhere to antiretroviral treatment and have an undetectable viral load after 9 months of treatment. At the same time, hospitals in these localities will be trained and made able of providing quality services that meet the specific needs of LGBT people. The psychological intervention will make it possible to integrate the mental health component into the overall care of HIV and cure psychological disorders linked to serological status and sexual orientation.

Young LGBT  in rural areas of west Cameroon were indeed consulted about this project. We conducted an opinion poll on the relevance of setting up this project with LGBT leaders in our organization and a few partner organizations. Then we got closer through a Voluntary HIV Testing Campaign as an advanced strategy. LGBT people who took part in this campaign gave their opinions through a modest verbal survey. Finally, it seemed important to us to consult some LGBT friendly local authorities for information purposes to reassure the elements of our survey.

Thus collected, we established an equal distribution between LGBT boys and girls and built two types of working groups. One with Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender  women/girls only,  and the other with Gay, Bisexual and Transgender boys, to address the specific needs of each group.

Finally, we organized an extraordinary general assembly bringing together all the members of our organization up to date with their contributions, to validate the said project by vote.

Young LGBT from rural areas of west Cameroon are therefore the first actors of the project, where they will have the task of carrying out the project through their active participation and will benefit from positions of responsibility and will be responsible for the progressive implementation of the activities. With this approach, we confirm our desire to strengthen their psychosocial capacities so that they can function independently. Such an intervention strategy requires that the beneficiaries are themselves competent experts in transforming their environment. Thus being at the heart of the project's activities from start to finish, they will have acquired all the essential skills in sexual health to act in their own context, guaranteeing the performance effect. This performance effect will be read by the construction of a local network made up of LGBT activist groups led by leaders, to mobilize in the promotion of sexual health for LGBT people. A bank of projects will be created driven by the dynamics of the local network formed, whose representation and representativeness will be important elements in making the voice of the entire community heard through concerted actions and implemented in consensual ways and always in the interest of the LGBT community for a great treatment of rights to identity, to health in the direction of LGBT people.

The main direct impacts of the project are:

- The  young LGBT people trained have become autonomous groups able of functioning without occasional assistance, to ensure the continuity of actions to promote sexual health in favor of their peers with a view to sustainability.

- Decreasing incidence ratio linked to self-stigma, stigma and discrimination linked to HIV status or sexual orientation to a level of at least 75%.

- 100% of people newly diagnosed with HIV accept their HIV status, adhere to antiretroviral treatment and have an undetectable viral load after 09 months of treatment.

- The reduction of at least 75% in the number of new HIV-STI infections within the LGBT community in the rural areas of west Cameroon.

- Reduction of at least 90% of risky sexual practices within the LGBT community in rural areas of west Cameroon.

- LGBT network is strengthened in the rural areas of west Cameroon.

- progress towards the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets.

- Access to quality sexual health services by LGBT people in rural areas of West Cameroon.

The prevalence of HIV within the LGBT community in Cameroon is approximately 44%. HIV-positive people have a very high vulnerability rate to COVID-19 due to their weak immune defense strained by HIV. Further, our hostile environment believes that LGBT people should all die of Covid-19, because having sexual practices considered satanic. Thus, our project aims to (1) fight against HIV within the LGBT community by informing them about sexual health in order to reduce risky sexual practices; (2) carry out towards local authorities and health personnel,  advocacy and awareness actions to facilitate their access to HIV prevention and care services.

Since October 2019 until today, we have implemented this project in 02 localities in West Cameroon region  (Bafoussam and Dschang), which has allowed us (1) to offer awareness and screening services for HIV, syphilis, viral hepatitis B and C to 2000 LGBT people in rural areas and support people diagnosed positive in the care circuit; (02) sensitize 40 local authorities on the LGBT theme and get them to become friendly; (3) build the capacity of 20 local health workers to enable them to offer health services to LGBT people who meet their specific needs; (4) Build the capacity of 20 peer educators from our community on community mobilization. Thus, a plan to maintain these interventions is necessary to further promote the access of LGBT people to HIV prevention and care services, and thus guarantee the full enjoyment of their health rights in Cameroon.

Our solution is innovative insofar as it specifically aims to fight against stigmatization and increased discrimination towards LGBT people in rural areas of west Cameroon, thus limiting their access to HIV prevention and care services. This project is unprecedented because no HIV program in Cameroon takes into account lesbians in rural areas, who also have specific sexual health needs related to their sexuality.

Thus, as part of our innovation, we will step up awareness-raising, advocacy, screening and support actions in order to reassure ourselves that LGBT people in rural areas of Bafoussam Cameroon and its surroundings have full access to sexual health services responding to their specific needs. We will adopt a psychosocial approach that is both community-based, culturally appropriate and focused on social and educational development to provide a lasting and effective solution to the beneficiaries.

2000 LGBT currently, 2500 LGBT in one year and 4500 LGBT in five years.

For next year, we would have strengthened capacities and knowledge of 40 peer educators , 100 health personnel and 100 local authorities to get them to intervene effectively in favor of beneficiaries to bring 2500 LGBT people to (1) have right information on HIV and sexual-health, and adopt safer sex practices, (2) access HIV prevention and care services; this way they will know their HIV status. People living with HIV will benefit from psychosocial support and at least 60% of them will have undetectable viral load after 09 months of treatment, (3) cure trauma related to HIV status/ sexual orientation.

For next 05 years, we would have strengthened capacities and knowledge of 40 peer educators , 100 health personnel and 100 local authorities to get them to intervene effectively in favor of beneficiaries to bring 4500 LGBT people to (1) have right information on HIV and sexual health, and adopt safer sex practices through awareness, (2) access HIV prevention and care services; so they will know their HIV status. People living with HIV will benefit from psychosocial support and at least 60% of them will have undetectable viral load after 09 months of treatment, (3) cure trauma related to HIV status/ sexual orientation.

We will ensure regular monitoring of  actors trained in order to follow them in carrying out their field experiences and continue to strengthen the skills of local actors, and get involved in  field projects that local actors propose by looking for means of implementation for these projects.

210 volunteers;
12 full-time staff;
10 part-time staff.

For 6 years and more various and continuous training courses, we have been familiar at the local (with the Global Fund program) and international levels (collaboration agreement with many partners like Grand Challenges Canada and viiv healthcare ...) by implementing projects that contribute to the well-being of our LGBT peers requiring a great spirit of administration, management, execution, monitoring and reporting.

In addition, we have a good level of experience in entrepreneurship which can be seen first of all through the various trainings we have undergone on the promotion of sexual health and human rights. Then, we can see it through the realization of our direct awareness raising, prevention, advocacy, support and documentation activities; and we demonstrate our entrepreneurial spirit through numerous achievements resulting from collaboration agreements within the framework of the global fund project and many others.

Finally, we prioritize the culturally appropriate community approach in carrying out our missions.

Our project for building equal participation of the gender invites interpersonal communication based on gender balance. An exclusive approach to the two gender  seems to us an integral approach to emancipate the female gender and self-esteem which would encourage more initiatives on their part and development. An approach would therefore favor the 50-50 split. Great flexibility and the fight against reductionist positions. Always thinking a population on these strengths and not mistreated on the basis of stereotypes participates in development.

To achieve our main objectives, we work in a consensual and egalitarian framework where all the strategies are the result of teamwork without any form of discrimination, to the decision by vote of the majority of votes through an election. The distribution of positions of responsibility is egalitarian and the promotion of group dynamics with the promotion of effort is fundamental. Thus we ensure the 50-50 and the absence of all forms of discrimination in all spheres of intervention. We believe that a construction is a collective work that requires all available forces and incentives. It therefore becomes relevant to equip each actor with all the skills essential for the positive transformation of the environment. Such a maneuver also contributes to psychological well-being by strengthening self-esteem, which is dear to the construction of a person's identity.

We apply to Solve so that (1) you support us with financial and / or technical support so that we can achieve our goals, (2) that you connect us with a wide range of international organizations, funders and platforms / networks of innovators who can support us in this direction, in order to guarantee the sustainability of our actions in favor of our LGBT peers who have little chance in our country Cameroon.

For Human Capital, we need financial partners who can support us in supporting our staff.

For the improvement of accounting practices, presentation to investors, monitoring and evaluation, we need partners to support us in capacity building.

Regarding the legal question, we want to surround ourselves with legal partners who can support us in our advocacy and legal assistance actions.

We also want to have partners who can help us acquire software, hardware and a website.

We would like to partner with any funder, donor, platform and network that works for the promotion of the rights of LGBT people and likely to provide us with financial and / or technical support for the sustainability of our actions.

Our organization was created in 2014 to promote sexual and reproductive health and related Human Rights for vulnerable people, especially LGBT people including sex workers and drug users.

We have a good experience not only in entrepreneurship, but also in the implementation of sexual health promotion projects that contribute to the well-being of our marginalized LGBT peers, requiring a great spirit of administration, management, execution, monitoring and reporting.

We modestly believe that this award will be a first-rate tool for achieving our objectives. We work tirelessly to make sense of  LGBT community and life. Such an opportunity will increase our capacity for action in terms of impact and mobilization of LGBT people around the activities assigned to this project. Beyond the limits of this project, we believe that this award will engage and ensure the sustainability of our actions and interventions. Our group will be set up as a resource / advocate group for LGBT people. This award will also allow each member of our group to be introduced to issues of sexual health and human rights. At the very least, we could induce and engage in open debates on the issue of rights to health.

Our organization was created in 2014 to promote sexual and reproductive health and related Human Rights for vulnerable people, especially LGBT people including sex workers and drug users.

We have a good experience not only in entrepreneurship, but also in the implementation of sexual and reproductive health promotion projects that contribute to the well-being of Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and girls, requiring a great spirit of administration, management, execution, monitoring and reporting.

We modestly believe that this award will be a first-rate tool for achieving our objectives. We work tirelessly to make sense of the Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender women and girls community. Such an opportunity will increase our capacity for action in terms of impact and mobilization of Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and girls around the activities assigned to this project. Beyond the limits of this project, we believe that this award will engage and ensure the sustainability of our actions and interventions. Our group will be constituted as a resource group / advocate for Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and girls. This award will also allow each member of our group to be introduced to issues of sexual and reproductive health. At the very least, we could induce and engage in open debates on the issue of sexual and reproductive health rights.