Keeping Alive Societies Hope (KASH) is an NGO from Kisumu, Kenya that hopes to achieve a healthy, just and economically empowered society. Its main target audiences are men who have sex with men (MSMs) and female sex workers.
PlanetRomeo Foundation funds a new project by KASH, which focuses on young MSMs working in the local transport sector. Youths working in this sector, which is one of the easiest sectors for unemployed teens to find a job in, are referred to as matatu touts. MSM matatu touts face a lot of discrimination and (gang) violence.
KASH wants to train a team of 20 MSMs and MSM-friendly matatu touts and 15 police officers on safety, security and human rights. This group will transfer their knowledge to 1,500 MSMs and 100 police officers in the city of Kisumu. The goal is to create a safe environment for MSMs within the transport sector to operate and live in without fear of violence within a 5 month period.
