SAF-TESO

Who do you work with?

SAF-TESO has total membership of 645 individuals, 445 are females and 200 are males, of the 445 females, 345 are the sex workers, implying that females constitute 68.99%, of which 77.52% are female sex workers and 22.47% are non-female sex workers. The males, constitutes 31.01%, of the membership, but 120 are male sex workers, constituting 60% of the membership as males sex workers, 40% are non-male sex workers.

How are sex workers involved in your organisation?

SAF-Teso is purely sex worker women led organisation, the AGM, the decision-making organ is made up of seven members, 5 of whom are women and 2 are men. The Secretariat is headed by the woman and they are 7 paid members of staff, 05 are sex workers, meaning 71.4% are female sex workers and 02 are male staff 28.57% sex workers. So, in total the secretariat and Executive Committee, there are 10 female sex workers meaning out of the total 14 members both in the board and secretariat, the female sex workers, contribute a % of 71.43% and the male contribute 28.57%. There are 05 members of the advisory committee ,04 are women and 01 male, 03 female are active sex workers and 01 is former sex worker.SAF-TESO being a sex worker led organization, involves sex workers in the programs as beneficiaries, also the sex workers are constituting the   Board /Executive Committee (legal-decision making), the sex workers, also work in the programme advisory committee, budgeting and planning, mmonitoring and evaluation committee.SAF-TESO has 7 paid staff, 05 female and 02 male, the 05 female sex workers, 10 peer educators, 04 are sex workers, 26VHTs- 10 are former sex workers ,08 Mentor mothers,23 Linkage Facilitators,14 are sex workers 20 Young Adolescent Peers/Program Supporters (YAPs), 11 are the sex workers, Commu-nity leaders mainly sex workers constitute 77.52% as females and 60% as males and 05 outreach co-ordinators all working as sex workers. The peer educators, Linkage facilitators, mentor mothers, the YAPs, the community leaders and out-reach coordinators all do single and collective roles to ensure programs implementation and promotion of individual behaviour change, involving peer education, condom distribution, and provision of sexual health services education and rights promotion of the key populations/sex workers

Which of NSWP priority areas does your organisation work on?
Oppose the criminalisation and other legal oppression of sex work and support its recognition as work
Critique the trafficking paradigm that conflates representations of sex work, migration, and mobility
Advocate for universal access to health services, including primary health care, HIV and sexual and reproductive health services
Speak out about violence against sex workers, including violence from police, institutions, clients, and intimate partners, while challenging the myth that sex work is inherently gender-based violence
Oppose human rights abuses, including coercive programming, mandatory testing, raids and forced rehabilitation
Challenge stigma and discrimination against sex workers, their families and partners, and others involved in sex work
Advocate for the economic empowerment and social inclusion of sex workers as sex workers
What are the two main challenges that the sex workers you work with face

The Trans-gender (Male and Female) persons here face extreme criminalization, stigma and violence this is a social disadvantage to them because of their gender identity, the public so discriminatory to the transgender people here in the Teso Sub-Region, there is no single organization working with trans gender people and their organizations save SAF-TESO as a human rights advocacy organization for the LGBTIQ people, but with focus on transgender people. Many transgender people (LGBTIQ) in the face significant challenges resulting from negative attitudes of community members towards them. These groups have been marginalised and hit hard by COVID-19. Many have been assaulted and abused. Abuses of the transgender people (LGBTIQ) are systemic and widespread, directly violating numerous females, male and transgender sex workers who use drugs those few living with HIV. Over 98% of the transgender people in the Teso sub-region are living in abject poverty and are unemployed in the formal sectors, a few are working in the informal sectors.The rural transgender sex workers and more so rural transgender youth sex workers and gender non-conforming youth sex workers, have high level of exposure to human rights abuse, violations, stigma, criminalization, oppression and denial of access to sexual reproductive health and rights services is almost double. Rural transgender youth sex workers and gender non-conforming youth sex workers have remained one of the most vulnerable and marginalized population groups facing multiple human rights violations coupled with discrimination and stigma.The transgender people in the local areas here   face key issues such as enormous health disparities, HIV infection, lack of primary care and harassment in homes and public places among others.COVID-19 pandemic has set fire in the transgender people here in the Teso sub-region because of the lockdown, they have no food , money , essentials medicines like vitamin C and Zinc supplements to boost their immunities and there is gross lack of PPE supplies for COVID-19 prevention , this therefore has placed them  in to vulnerability and many have died of COVID-19 Pandemic and hunger. Many of the transgender people in the Teso sub-region have ended consuming illicit drugs, alcohol and substance as result of frustration and hence many have died as well and contracted HIV/AIDS .Since inception in 2009-present, SAF-Teso through various behavioural and social change communication programs like media campaigns, campaigns on human rights, key population rights, and gender-based violence as helped to secure inclusive rights of the key populations in the Teso Sub-Region. We have distributed over 2,500 IEC materials for dissemination key messages like sex transgender people, workers are people like you and me, work and support them, we have rehabilitated 450 transgender people and 678 sex workers through care and support programs as now we use them as community champions.As a Human Rights Advocacy and  transgender and Sex worker led organisation, SAF-Teso has pushed for institutional reforms that have led to the many transgender people and sex workers to be accepted ,however, there is still high degree of criminalisation, violence and stigma on the transgender people and their organisations, the once integrated are providing sexuality education and Health education and human rights  in communities and schools, our aim is to reduce number of transgender people  and their families  to experience any form of abuse and violations .Through a few individual donations we received for COVID-19 emergency assistance to the most vulnerable groups like LGBTIQ people, PLHIV/AIDS, Older persons, children, pregnant women, single mothers , cancer and diabetic patients , we have supported 670 LGBTIQ people and strengthened   their associations, however, there is still a high gross unmet need in terms of emergency food and PPE supplies, cash tokens , legal aid services ,online digital tools  to increase amount  of information to the public about transgender people and to improve their skills and capacity through trainings and awareness raising, Income generating activities  to generate incomes and employment among the transgender people ,prevention of substance, drugs and alcohol  use and mis use in the transgender people, human rights defending ,home care services -counselling to reduce stress in them and voluminous dissemination and promotion of health, economic and human rights of the transgender people in the Teso sub-region

Describe other areas of your work

SAF-TESO works with many LGBTIQ led Associations, movements Networks and Coalitions in the Teso Sub-region and we are lead organization for the HIV/AIDS and Human Rights platforms for the sex workers. The membership of SAF-Teso are mainly sex workers, HRDs, Activists, Media outlets, Journal-ists, Civic Groups and CSOs whose soul purpose is to protect the rights of the Key Population in the Teso Sub-Region. SAF-TESO has empowered 150 sex workers and now reintegrated in to the society and 5 of whom working as SAF-TESO staff in Serere District.SAF-TESO since 2009 -Present has been implementing Human Rights and Health projects targeting the key populations in order to reduce HIV stigma and discrimination. The organisation through various be-havioural and social change communication programs through media campaigns, campaigns on human rights, key population rights, and gender-based violence as helped to secure inclusive rights of the key populations in the Teso Sub-Region. We have distributed over 2,500 IEC materials for dissemination key messages like sex workers are people like you and me, work and support them, we have rehabili-tated 450 sex workers through care and support programs as now we use them as community champi-ons.As a Human Rights Advocacy and Sex worker led organisation, SAF-Teso has pushed for institutional reforms that have led to the many sex workers being integrated in to community life and they are now champions providing sexuality education and Health education in communities and schools, our aim is to reduce number of young girls and adolescent girls getting in to commercial sex because the society cannot support them and we have repressive laws and policies in Uganda

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Уганда