COSIR kenya

On Friday, 10 th 2017 COSIR Kenya was invited by HIAS Refugee Trust of Kenya in a stake-holders’ meeting which was held at Silver-springs Hotel in Nairobi. The meeting was attended by a number of representatives from The UN Refugee Agency – UNHCR, Danish Refugee Council, Church World Service, Gay & Lesbian coalition of Kenya – GALCK, Refugee Affair Secretariat, Refugee Consortium of Kenya – RCK, Community Support Initiative for Refugees - COSIR, HIAS Refugee Trust of Kenya and representatives from the different refugee communities including Sudanese, Rwandese, Congolese, Burundians and Ugandans. The meeting rotated around issues regarding insecurities and protection concerns LGBT refugees living in urban centers face and how HIAS in conjunction with other refugee agencies plus the Community Based Organizations like COSIR Kenya can come together to address the matter on a community level. COSIR Publicity Secretary giving his speech Speakers from different organizatio...

FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING FOR REFUGEES In an effort to involve refugees into livelihood programs, HIAS Refugee Trust of Kenya organised a financial literacy training which is aimed at equipping refugees with a couple of financial knowledge and skills. The training is set to last for 4 days start from Tuesday, 7 Th /Oct/2017 to Friday, 10 Th /Oct/2017.              "LGBTI Refugees in Kenya  cannot access banking and  variety of services because of their  status in the country" The training was conducted by entrepreneurs and economic scientists from Equity Bank Kenya. The training covered lot of financial topics including but not limited to;  Ø   Business management                          Ø   Effective ways of getting income   Ø   Ways of spending income  Ø   Why financial literacy is necessary   Par...

CHALLENGES LGBTI REFUGEES IN NAIROBI FACE In 2014, the Uganda president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni signed the Anti-gay bill. This made Homosexuality illegal in the country, forcing many LGBTI persons to flee their homeland for their lives to safer places. A number of Ugandan LGBTI persons fled the country for fear for their lives and persecution because of their sexual orientation. They have continued to seek asylum in the neighbouring country Kenya.  However, life in Kenya has not been any different from the one they fled their country for; they face a lot of challenges far worse than the cases in their home country. Discrimination; The host communities in Kenya do discriminate LGBTI refugees the moment they learn about his/her sexual orientation. Kenyan national have become curious about the influx of Ugandan nationals who come and settle in their areas but have nothing meaningful they do and they stay too many of the same gender in a single 10ft X 10ft room or less. ...