Our Programs

KIPOCHI 

Economic Empowerment

• Objective: Promote economic independence of our beneficiaries through economic empowerment skills training.

• Interventions: Economic advancement and Power and Agency.

Kipochi is derived from a Swahili word meaning a small handbag. This is literal and  relatable to the community level where young LGBTQ+ sex workers must ensure their bags are safe and have coins. CRSW-Kenya ensures that we have developed an intervention under the Kipochi program that aims to influence power and agency in financial matters, thereby promoting promote economic progress. Our goal is to provide individuals with the tools, resources and skills needed to improve their economic well-being. These activities include training in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, job-hunting skills, and access to micro-finance opportunities such as loans or grants. The ultimate goal is to help individuals become more self-reliant and economically independent. Making money a topic of discussion, impact organizing, savings tactics, business plans, taxes and compliance among LGBTIQ youth.

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HaQi 

Advocacy for Human Rights

• Objective: Increase support on advocacy for change and violence response at the community level.  

• Interventions: Lobby, Litigate and Safe and security response.

Justice and equality among minority person it’s a key aspect that hinders freedom of expression, access to services and continuous engagement in advocacy. We work on enhancing human right defenders, paralegal and security response personnel have capacity to ensure civic education is well interpreted and understood at the local grassroot spaces. By having intensive law education talks and champaign to ensure community has civic knowledge and local activist have strategic ways to engage in policy reform and lobby for change.  

HaQi comes from a Swahili word haki which means JUSTICE. Access to justice and fairness still stand as a gap in Kenya for YLGBTIQ individuals especially in the rural region due to lack of awareness support and systems. Justice and equality among minorities is an important aspect that hinders freedom of expression, access to services and continued engagement in advocacy. 

CRSW-Kenya developed a human right advocacy program that is working to increase the presence of human rights defenders, paralegals and security response personnel to ensure that civic education is interpreted and understood at the local level. By organizing in-depth legal education discussions and campaigns to ensure that communities have civic knowledge and local activists are strategically equipped to engage in reforms and promote change. Promoting equality, acceptance, and safety for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, continuous raising awareness and providing support for the YLGBTQ+ community in Kenya to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live freely and authentically.

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Q-Search 

Research and Documentation

• Objective: Enhance quality programming and implementation through data driven and evidence-based mechanism.

• Interventions: Report, Publication and Adoption.

“Q-Search- Torture the data, and it will confess to anything” Our research and data program seeks to deepen our understanding of the interconnections between sexual orientation, gender identity and programming manifested through behaviors, written facts and observed information, myths and misconceptions and feedbacks that are directly related to the development of new programs or enhancement of existing programs. Publications and documentation done include written research proposals, best practices and success stories, conference papers, project plans, project frameworks, SOPs and policy briefs.

For effective programs and interventions, there is need for evidence-based research that incorporates participation of target community. CRSW-Kenya projects and interventions are informed by real time data and baseline determinations. Monitoring projects from the needs assessment stage to evaluation of feedbacks. The findings, trends and emerging issues are continuously shared with both CRSW-Kenya organization team, stakeholders and community. 

CRSW-Kenya heavily utilize and maximize on digital tools in data collection, analysis, storage and dissemination of findings with utmost data security measures in place. Community-centered and evidence-based approach inform the successful program implementation to young queer individuals with which the impact is realized from client satisfaction responses. We work effortlessly towards 360-informed and data driven project initiation, execution and project impact across the community and Central Region of Kenya.

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Q-STUDIO

Creative Art

• Objective: Promote creativity and innovation among our beneficiaries through provision of art platforms.    

• Interventions: Expression, Studio, etc.

‘’Give me a space Lemme show you what I can curate” words from most young queer artists. Arts and culture have played an important role in shaping the advocacy narrative and influencing freedom of expression. With its wealth and years of artistic practice, Africa has championed its unapologetic boldness in artistic expression and practice. Among queer youth, arts seem to be under resourced to grow, develop and express their expertise. 

The Studio Program offers a space, interdisciplinary teaching with core educational modules focused on artistic exploration and experience, integration and participation as well as professional skills, enabling young queer people to develop expertise in a specific area of ​​artistic expression. 

CRSW-Kenya provides interactive art creation activities for youth in the context of sexual orientation and gender identity. Art workshops and hubs are designed to engage queer youth in their communities and allow them to explore and celebrate the power of art.