Rights 4 Her

Today, as the world commemorates World AIDS Day under the theme “Let Communities Lead,” Rights 4 Her Uganda team joins the global community in recognizing the pivotal role communities play in eradicating stigma, ensuring access to treatment, fostering support networks and in leading the way to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. We stand in solidarity with all communities affected by HIV/AIDS. We salute their courage, resilience, and leadership. Communities are the backbone of the HIV response. They connect people with person-centered public health services, build trust, innovate, monitor implementation of policies and services, and hold providers accountable. They know the needs and challenges of their own members, who can provide tailored and effective solutions, can break the stigma and discrimination that fuel the spread of HIV and hinder access to prevention, testing, treatment and care. However, communities are facing many obstacles including and not limited to; underfunded, overworked, excluded, undervalued, policy and regulatory barriers that limit their scope and impact, crackdowns on civil society and on the human rights of marginalized communities’ especially Structurally Silenced Communities and persons yet they’re the most affected communities but often excluded from decision-making, programming and service delivery. This World AIDS Day is more than a celebration of the achievements of communities; it is a call to action to enable and support communities in their leadership roles. We urge all stakeholders, from governments to donors, from health workers to researchers, from media to private sector, to recognize, respect, and resource the vital work of communities in the HIV response. We demand an enabling environment that facilitates communities’ role in provision of HIV services, ensures civil society space, and protects the human rights of all. We call for nothing about us without us. #WorldAIDSDay2023 #LetCommunitiesLead Together We Defend!

HEALING; A TOOL FOR A WEALTHY AND HEALTHY PERSON AND MOVEMENT. Ever compared yourself to a tree growing either in a desert, water or on a fertile land? What is healing to you? What is the connection between wealth, health and healing? Ever imagined a movement without nature? How does a Wealthy and Healthy Movement look like to you? Do you ever walk the path back to your childhood being? Are you at peace with yourself and nature? Building a healthy and wealthy person and movement calls for a full inner and outer feeling of all the involved parties; those on the front line, beneficiaries and partners. Our lives and well being depend on the energies we let in and those around us. The relationship between us and the ones we have chosen to surround ourselves with counts a lot in the achievement of a healthy and wealthy person and movement. During our lifetime journey, we unknowingly and knowingly get hurt or hurt others and move on without minding about the now and post effects. We have been scheduled by the society and environment we are nurtured from; to think and believe that all will be okay and render such moments as minor or as by the ways. We start building walls around us at an early stage, the different layers pile and create a surface within and around us that attracts a foreign substance like algae or moss growing on a neglected building. When it comes to us Queer persons; we grow up struggling with our own feelings; those about us and all that surrounds us, questioning and doubting ourselves. Life becomes a series of misery for many. Our layers are built by more and unique pressing issues and life becomes unbearable for many when the support system is absent. Our minds are everyday filled with recurring indifferent opinions. Opinions that are many times just pressed on us; Due to the lack of guidance from the early stage of childhood about the reality of sexuality, due to the rigid norms we never consented to, due to the heteronormative settings even our ancestors never contributed to but rather followed because it was the order of the day. Along the journey as we try to teach and seek knowledge by ourselves which comes with overbearing hurting from within ourselves and the surrounding. Hurting that is fueled by religions that we were initiated into by our parents, the society norms which choose to never shift by reality and culture we never consented to. We grow up to live a life of a book where the author directs to their selfish thoughts and needs. We are all on the frontline of fighting something that many of us may be unaware of. The fear of the unknown shields us with warmth that blinds many with fear. Life is Activism itself at some point along our different journeys. We start the battle at our childhood stage; those moments we try to stand up for our younger selves because of decisions made by our parents/guardians (in good faith or with no awareness of the weight of the harm) but only to be silenced because we are minors. Our struggle and fight begins at that point when every human makes the first step and experiences their first cry, when they hit the world. As adults we fearlessly choose to approach life differently, we awaken all the wounded layers of childhood which affect our ability to grow an enriched and healthy life inclusive of the movements we are a part of and involved in. Our ability to handle life shakes because of the weight from the different burdens we carry. We pack our cargos unknowing the weight it will bring. The cargo which makes us broken human beings, which makes our shoulders itch, our feet to tremble, our hearts to shed unnoticed blood, visible and invisible tears rolling down our faces, our minds roaming and our souls terrified The Journey of Healing our souls, mind, body and spirit is one gift to achieve a wealthy and healthy person and movement. The nature of our fruits depends on the happiness of our foundation. To build a strong and healthy movement calls for grounded souls. It involves planting a seed that will blossom into a tree which will bear fruits to feed many for years, a seed that can be cultivated forever. The tree symbolizes movements we are in. The wealth and health are the fruits it bears. The seeds are the energies of the different humans that join our movements every other day. Our movements shrive the moment it has a collection of healthy trees bearing good fruits. “Would our ancestors be when every individual and collective are living and co-existing happily together in this universe?” Offloading that bad harvest in our cargos is what we may call striving to achieve. When we gather to heal and share stories, our energies flow, striving towards healing everyone involved in the circle. As we heal, we create a ground that is founded by wealth and health of wisdom and knowledge needed to grow and strengthen collectives and movements. That same ground boosts and betters our wellbeing on a personal level. This world is full of challenges that hit us differently. Recovering may be certain or not. Healing is a continuous journey that we face throughout our lives. Our inner struggles if not balanced, doubles, multiplies and even goes beyond hence affecting our outer person. How heavy would it be to those around you and all other things that surround you? “We feed the movements we’re in and the movements feed us. How best can we make the two souls happy, wealthy and healthy together?” Winfred MugambwaQueer Feminist and Human Rights Defender

International Women’s Day 2022 Rights 4 Her Message #BreakTheBias Gender Equality Today for A Sustainable Tomorrow. As we commemorate and celebrate this year’s Womxn’s Day under the theme “Gender Equality Today for A Sustainable Tomorrow”, may we keep in mind that the wrath of the Environment and  Climate Change is heavy on us all, especially us Womxn for tomorrow does not look conducive and sustainable for our environment.  Time is not at all on the inhabitants’ side as our environment keeps degrading and hurting our existence due to our very own ignorant and selfish actions that include misuse and overuse of the resources and lack of knowledge on Environment and Climate Justice. May we acquaint ourselves with What Environment and Climate Justice is What Climate change is Global Warming What part do we play towards both the health and wealth of our environment, to mention but a few Womxn are more prone to the harshness of disasters and poor climate change as we are more vulnerable and unfairly catered for as a diverse group by society and it’s rigid system; yet still fighting towards unfair policies and programs that must equally cater for us in this crippled patriarchal system. We should note that the harsh climate continues to take a toll on us through our day to day life in addition to the unfair livelihood that Womxn have been burdened with compared to the male gender. Our businesses are affected, sicknesses and illnesses are on the raise, poor housing or homelessness due to the harsh weather, delay and gaps in service provision, reduced resources that we fight over bringing about conflict, classism, violence,to mention but a few; are a few of the very many evils that we succumb to courtesy of not only the inequality but the environmental factors too that greatly break vulnerable excluded groups like Womxn. As we continue to fight for our Gender Equality and Equity,  may we relate and acquaint ourselves with  Mother Nature as her well-being is our own, and without her existence; so is our extinction.  All that we are working towards needs the nurturing of Environment and Climate Justice whether  physically, emotionally or socially as it greatly compliments and supplements on the social, economical and political services we are rendered. Let us enlighten ourselves and collectively have Environment and Climate Justice in mind with each and every step we take towards fighting for Gender Equality and Equity.  May every activity we take and service we render carry the wellness of the environment we so feed from. Environment and Climate Change is a Gender issue because of  the different structural constructs.  Womxn face more wrath courtesy of the unfavorable situations and circumstances that are mildly or not addressed  hence the agency to get hands on as we walk the path of  Breaking The Bias. May we too care for Mother Nature’s Wellness for the sake of our own. Happy Womxn’s Day To us all #BreakTheBias #Nature4Us #Queers4Nature Matilda Cecilia Koburunga Programs Director RIGHTS 4 HER UGANDA

Thank you so much for walking with us on this Journey. We’re growing courtesy of your guidance, mentorship and support. We are who we are because of both of us. Every day, we learn something new. Unlearn what we thought was, relearn what we already know and what is new. In the last 2 year, Rights 4 Her Uganda has been transitioning. She has transitioned from focusing on only Structurally Silenced persons in the closet to focusing on all Structurally Silenced persons in Uganda. She has walked a journey of merging from July 2020 to September 2021. All this transitioningprocess has come with lessons and growth that we are thankful for. Globally, COVID – 19 Pandemic effects and post effects have affected and are still affecting organizational operations and the livelihood most especially the marginalized groups (girls, women, indigenous people, the disabled, sexual minorities and gender minorities) however through all these trials we do continue to keep the resilience with thehelp of our partners, beneficiaries and a dedicated staff/volunteers. Rights 4 Her Uganda managed to acquire office space through donations from her well-wishers and now has a team of volunteers who help in her daily operations with the support of her Board of Directors and Advisors. Rights 4 Her Uganda from her inception, has always focused on the Wellness of Structurally Silencedpersons in Uganda (Financial, Physical, Mental, Spiritual and career growth) and we still greatly put a lot of focus on that thus, we managed to open a Wellness Home or Structurally SilencedHuman Rights Defenders and Structurally Silencedpersons facing Gender-Based Violence. Through our different implementation processes, we realized that the Environment and Climate greatly contribute to wellness in all aspects hence the two are interdependent. Therefore, the more we endanger nature, the more we endanger our existence. And the need to add a voice on challenging power and norms. We added the Environment, Climate Justice and Governance to our thematic areas of focus. In the last quarter of 2021, we managed to have different security trainings with Transgender persons and Structurally Silenced women, Mental Health conversations, launched the Rainbow Table series, a Camp fire aimed at healing and conversation around personal growth. Research on the effects of COVID-19 on Structurally Silenced person and the other about Climate Change and Queer lives. We successfully carried out a campaign during the 16 days of Activism to eliminate Gender Based Violence towards women. “We are who we are because of your generosity.” ……………A Fruitful and Joyful 2022……… Follow us: website; www.rights4her.org. Twitter;@Rights4Her1, Facebook; Rights 4 HER, Instagram Rights _4Her

 Ever compared yourself to a tree growing either in a desert, water or on a fertile land? Building a healthy and wealthy person and movement calls for a full inner and outer feeling of all the involved parties; those on the frontline, beneficiaries and partners.  Our lives and well being depend on the energies we let in and those around us. The relationship between us and the ones we have chosen to surround ourselves with counts a lot in the achievement of a healthy and wealthy person and movement. During our lifetime journey, we unknowingly and knowingly get hurt or hurt others and move on without minding about the now and post effects. We have been scheduled by the society and environment we are nurtured from; to think and believe that all will be okay and render such moments as minor or as by the ways. We start building walls around us at an early stage, the different layers pile and create a surface within and around us that attracts a foreign substance like algae or moss growing on a neglected building. When it comes to us Queer persons; we grow up struggling with our own feelings; those about us and all that surrounds us, questioning and doubting ourselves. Life becomes a series of misery for many. Our layers are built by more and unique pressing issues and life becomes unbearable for many when the support system is absent. Our minds are everyday filled with recurring indifferent opinions. Opinions that are many times just pressed on us; Due to the lack of guidance from the early stage of childhood about the reality of sexuality, due to the rigid norms we never consented to, due to the heteronormative settings even our ancestors never contributed to but rather followed because it was the order of the day.   Along the journey as we try to teach and seek knowledge by ourselves which comes with overbearing hurting from within ourselves and the surrounding. Hurting that is fueled by religions that we were initiated into by our parents, the society norms which choose to never shift by reality and culture we never consented to. We grow up to live a life of a book where the author directs to their selfish thoughts and needs. We are all on the frontline of fighting something that many of us may be unaware of. The fear of the unknown shields us with warmth that blinds many with fear. Life is Activism itself at some point along our different journeys. We start the battle at our childhood stage; those moments we try to stand up for our younger selves because of decisions made by our parents/guardians (in good faith or with no awareness of the weight of the harm) but only to be silenced because we are minors. Our struggle and fight begins at that point when every human makes the first step and experiences their first cry, when they hit the world. As adults we fearlessly choose to approach life differently, we awaken all the wounded layers of childhood   which affect our ability to grow an enriched and healthy life inclusive of the movements we are a part of and involved in. Our ability to handle life shakes because of the  weight from the different burdens we carry. We pack our cargos unknowing the weight it will bring. The cargo which makes us broken human beings, which makes our shoulders itch, our feet to tremble, our hearts to shed unnoticed blood, visible and invisible tears rolling down our faces, our minds roaming and our souls terrified The Journey of Healing our souls, mind, body and spirit is one gift to achieve a wealthy and healthy person and movement. The nature of our fruits depends on the happiness of our foundation. To build a strong and healthy movement calls for grounded souls. It involves planting a seed that will blossom into a tree which will bear fruits to feed many for years, a seed that can be cultivated forever. The tree symbolizes  movements we are in. The wealth and health are the fruits it bears. The seeds are the energies of the different humans that join our movements every other day. Our movements shrive the moment it has a collection of healthy trees bearing good fruits. “Would our ancestors be when every individual and collective are living and co-existing happily together in this universe?” Offloading that bad harvest in our cargos is what we may call striving to achieve. When we gather to heal and share stories, our energies flow, striving towards  healing everyone involved in the circle. As we heal, we create a ground that is founded by wealth and health of wisdom and knowledge needed to grow and strengthen collectives and movements. That same ground boosts and betters our well-being on a personal level. This world is full of challenges that hit us differently. Recovering may be certain or not. Healing is a continuous journey that we face throughout our lives. Our inner struggles if not balanced, doubles, multiplies and even goes beyond   hence affecting our outer person. How heavy would it be to those around you and all other things that surround you? “We feed the movements we’re in and the movements feed us. How best can we make the two souls happy, wealthy and healthy together?” Winfred Mugambwa TEAM LEADER – Rights 4 Her Uganda Queer Feminist and Human Rights Defender