To All Persons Concerned with the Well Being of LGBTQI Refugees:
It is with great heartache that we report the passing of a Ugandan refugee in Kenya, outside the UNHCR offices in Nairobi on April 13th, 2020.
We are impossibly sad to learn of the death of one of our fellows who took his life. While we do not have verified information regarding the specifics of what transpired that morning, the images of Aneste Mweru's body that were unfortunately circulated on social media speak at a volume greater than we can express, and clarify beyond words the plight of the LGBTQI refugee in East Africa. Without knowing what was in his mind and heart, we can know that he was without hope, without options, and left in a state where he believed that to leave this world was preferable to existing under the circumstances of his life. We understand that desperation. We know what it is to be without resources, with our physical and mental health barely intact, and to be told "We cannot help you."
We fiercely implore those in power and with resources to help, to step forward and up, to do what is right, and to make a difference for the LGBTQI refugees still here in Kenya. We are asking you to save the next life. We are begging you to not forget him. His name was Aneste Mweru. We mourn him. We fear for our own health and safety.
We have read the statement from UNHCR, which included the following:
“UNHCR is concerned about the growing challenges faced by refugees and asylum-seekers as well as communities hosting them, in meeting their basic needs in the current difficult context. UNHCR will continue to do its utmost to deliver critical protection and assistance to the nearly 500,000 refugees and asylum-seekers living in Kenya, especially during these challenging times.”
We too are concerned, but these are not new challenges. The mental health of LGBTQI refugees in East Africa has never been an active priority, and concern thereof rarely manifests itself in action and tangible, consistent programming by the stakeholders and caretakers responsible for our safety and well-being. There are organizations doing great work to address these issues, foreign entities such as All Out, the AHRC, and Alight (including a partnership program with RefCEA, “Limitless Potential”). As well, there are local groups such as HOYMAS, Jinsiangu and UHAI, and individuals such as Gigi Louisa (among others) who support the community in various capacities . However, the need, made painfully clear by the death of Aneste Mweru, is greater than their available resources. We ask that his death serve to highlight the irrefutable necessity for increased mental health initiatives and services. Food, shelter, physical health, and mental health must all be considered by any organization claiming to work toward the well-being of our community, and the larger stakeholders must respond accordingly. Lives are at stake.
We call upon these organizations to address the underlying mental health problems that are prevalent LGBTQI refugee community, and that the UNHCR, and other involved associations and organizations, should prioritize this reality into their programming in an immediate, increased, and actionable manner.
In solidarity,
The Secretariat of the Refugee Coalition of East Africa