Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) is an LGBTI-led organization focusing on the rights of sexual minorities. They work on different areas to provide a better place for community members in Malawi.
In Malawi, LGBTI people face legal discrimination, social stigma, and conservatism. This especially counts for people such as transmen and gender non-conforming women living in the urban area of Lilongwe. These people face multiple forms of discrimination, not only from their local communities, but also fail to receive the support they need from LGBTI organizations, which have their main focus on HIV prevention, homosexuality, or other topics. Because it’s difficult to find funding for these sub-communities, PlanetRomeo Foundation decided to fund CEDEP to help them fill this gap in their existing activities.
The overall project will provide a kickstart for sustainable community development of transmen and gender non-conforming women. They’ll do this by building advocacy capacity, holding regular meetings for socializing and sharing experiences, combatting social isolation, and organizing sports activities. All of these activities are aimed at ensuring community building. Or, as CEDEP puts it: “strong movement building necessitates trust, solidarity, and meaningful exchange among a community.”
