“I want a good life, I want to be treated well. I feel bad when I am passing-by someone and they insult me for no reason,” said Sheldrake, a 22-year-old transgender man. “I want to be alive and free,” said Shakira, a 26-year-old sex worker. “I am a single father, I want to see my children growing up,” said Derrick, a bi-sexual, father of 5 children and sex worker. “I feel bad whenever I see Police arresting drug users instead of taking them for rehabilitation,” said Fred, a former drug addict. Sheldrake, Shakira, Derrick, Fred, and several of their colleagues, felt safe to share their innermost fears and dreams with a visiting delegation of Danish Parliamentarians. It is not often that fate brings this opportunity – for them to share their deep seated fears – safe from police crackdown, or of being found out by family and friends. But to them, it felt different when sharing with a stranger; the fact that they would not be judged, especially when the chances of meeting the stranger again are so minimal.

Three Danish Parliamentarians visited Uganda from 12th to 15th September. The Parliamentarians sought to get a deeper insight into the integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention interventions by the Government of Uganda. Among the many places they visited was the STD (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) Clinic - Most-At Risk-Population Initiative (MARPI) located in Mulago, one of the suburbs of Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

Most of those who attended this meeting are ‘peer educators,’ trained to reach their colleagues with messages to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The STD Clinic - MARPI is their place of safety and where they find social support from peers. Read more via UNFPA