Community Health Education Services & Advocacy (CHESA) is an LGBTI youth-led initiative from Tanzania, established in 2014.
In Tanzania, LGBTI people are subject to human right violations, and homosexuality is punishable by imprisonment up to 30 years. Furthermore, most LGBTI funding organizations focus on health-related issues, which don’t consider the safety of activists and other community members.
Therefore, PlanetRomeo Foundation funds CHESA’s project Usalama Kwanza (Safety First). They will establish a shelter facility/safe space for up to 50 LGBTI people who are victims of violence and human rights violations. This safe space will also provide room for trainings on various topics, such as human rights literacy, safety and security, economic empowerment, community advocacy, and sexual orientation and gender identity. CHESA will also offer psychosocial counseling in the shelter.
