Growing Into My Own Skin
A Reflection on Personal Growth, Well-being, and Acceptance Sharema is a 33-year old Belizean who has been a member of PETAL for the past four years and ...
2020
Stories of Change
Watch the inspiring Stories of Change from LGBTI activists, organisations and front-liners from all over world! Get a deeper insight into how they have achieved changes at various levels and how our vision translates into reality.
If you are a partner of COC and would like to produce your own Story of Change, please get in touch with the relevant Project Manager.
You can also make use of the filters below to specify your search along different criteria!
Belmopan Pride
A reflection on how visibility through Pride events impacts the lives of those who attend. Chris is a 31-year-old Belizean who started out with BYEC because ...
Self-Acceptance is a Wonderful Thing – Belize
Moving forward, accepting oneself and allowing others time to come to the same conclusion. Shaqeil is a a 27-year-old Belizean who has been involved with ...
Chale Wote Street Art Festival 2019 – Ghana
In August of 2019 the district of Jamestown in Accra, Ghana hosted the 9th annual Chale Wote Street Art Festival. Chale Wote is the largest street art festival ...
2020
Election of Miss and Mister IDAHOT 2019
This Story of Change shows how the trans movement, which is very recent in Burkina Faso, is rapidly gaining visibility and organizing events that create ...
2020
A Leader in the Making
Karl is a 29-year-old Belizean, born and raised in Belize. He went through a rough patch in his early years, getting into trouble which he describes as ...
2019
Coming Out in Belize
Kiki is a 24-year-old Belizean who came out three years ago to her mother. She comes from a deeply religious background and has a young son back from what ...
Finding Myself in Belize
Joshua is a 26-year-old Belizean who talks about his journey of coming to terms with who he is, his sexuality, his experiences with his family and how he ...
Building Self-Worth and Confidence in Ghana
This story is about three lesbian women from Ghana, who have both found self-worth and confidence in sticking up for their rights since joining the community ...
2019
Finding Solace in Ghana
This is a story about Sadat, a 23-year-old transwoman from Ghana who spoke about their experience being wrongly imprisoned and the process leading to their ...
2019
Empowering Self and Community in Belize
This Story of Change centres on Manny, a gay man and drag performer from Belmopan, Belize. His story explains the importance of breaking the silence brought ...
2019
Decriminalization in Malawi
CEDEP engaged with the Ministry of Justice of Malawi and the Malawi Human Rights Commission to discuss and address the decriminalization of homosexuality ...
2019
Making Space in Malawi for Rainbow Voices
LITE was established in 2016 and registered in 2018. It started by conducting needs assessments with lesbian, trans and intersex community people in Malawi ...
Understanding Each Others’ Struggles
Recently Zimbabwe has seen an increase of emerging LGBTI organisations who were either created under or with the support from GALZ and SRC. The current ...
Safety Training for LGBTIQ People in Malawi
Human rights activists in particular LGBTI activists are not safe in Malawi. Although the LGBTI movement has grown significantly in Malawi, it does not ...
Building Capacity for LGBTI Research in Ethiopia
An anonymous activist from Ethiopia gives an update on the involvement of Ethiopian organisations in regional research on LGBTI. This Story of Change is ...
2019
Health Care Activism for LGBTI people in Ethiopia
An anonymous activist gives an update on current health activism in Ethiopia. This Story of Change is an illustration of the PRIDE programme. ...
From Data to Change
A Story of Change on a coordinated research with LGBTI organisations in Southern and East Africa regions where 23 LGBTI organisations from 9 countries in ...
The East African Transgender Movement
The EATHAN network of transgender organisations has been developing from an initiative, and idea in 2015 to a stronger, unified network of 18 organisations ...
Celebrating Lesbian Visibility Day in Bobo Dioulasso
In a context where LBQ women are invisible and threatened by the majority of Burkinabe society, it is a challenge to gather and be visible. Most LBQ women ...
2019
Movement Building in Burkina Faso
Since 2017, different LGBT organizations have emerged in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso. Through the PRIDE program, those organizations received their first ...
Economic Empowerment of LGBTI in Ghana
Watch the inspiring story of how Solace Initiative, an organisation based in Ghana, has enabled LGBTI people in the country to work towards self-economic ...
2019
Building Self-Esteem and Understanding Sexual Orientation
This video presents the testimonies of young gay men and lesbian women who participated in a training on self-esteem. Through those trainings, the people ...
2019
Regional Meeting of LBQ Organisations (Francophone West
In November 2018, 4 LBQ organisations from Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Togo gathered in Cameroon, where they were welcomed by a dynamic LBQ organisation ...
2019
Collaboration with the Police in times of Crisis in
In May 2017, members of the LGBTI organisation CAMFAIDS based in Yaounde in Cameroon, were assaulted and attacked by people from the neighbourhood. Here ...
The Effectiveness of Change Within AVAF Cameroon
AVAF (Association pour la Valorisation de la Femme) is a lesbian organisation founded in 2015 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. From its inception, COC supported its ...
2019
Cameroon: On the Way to a National LGBT Movement
Despite the high repression against homosexuality in Cameroon, the LGBTI movement is one of the most active in West and Central Africa. About 30 organisations ...
Facilitating Unfiltered Conversations in Safe Spaces, for
The activity on which this lesson learnt documentation process is focused on, can be summed up in one word, Conversations. The Conversations are intended ...
2019
Regional Intersex Exchange Program
SIPD is an intersex organisation from Uganda that uses their longstanding expertise in working to promote the human rights of intersex people to support ...
2019
Putting LBQ-Women at the Forefront – the Birth of an
The story on the establishment of the first LBQ-led organisation in Belize and the creation of a culture of empowerment for LBQ-women in the country. This ...
2019
Mobilisation des Femmes LBQ au Cameroun et en Afrique de
Dans le cadre de la mise en oeuvre du programme PRIDE (Partenariat pour les Droits humains, l’Inclusion, la Diversité et l’Egalité) du COC Nederland, ...
Caribbean LGBTQI Leadership Academy Pilot Programme
The Caribbean LGBTQI Leadership Academy (the Leadership Academy), with financial support provided by the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) ...
2018
Burkina Faso: the transgender community
Story of the creation of a transgender space in a country where transgenders are non-existing. Transgender people in Burkina Faso were provided a space ...
2018
Engaging Micro Finance Institutions with LGBTI Communities:
This narrative is an account of Micro Rainbow International’s experience in designing and delivering financial inclusion programmes for LGBTI people in ...
2018
The South African Police Service’s Dignity, Diversity And
In the past years, civil society organisations (CSOs) in South Africa have been working with law enforcement agencies in their respective provinces to reduce ...
2018
Kenya: Advocacy and Policy Engagement by Ishtar-MSM in
Ishtar-MSM engages in advocacy and policy engagement by being the link between the MSM (men who have sex with men) and MSW (male sex workers) community ...
2018
Botswana: Raising awareness of stakeholders and mobilization
Rainbow Identity Association’s (RIA) lessons learned process focused on raising awareness on issues of transgender and intersex persons to different ...
2018
Cameroon: The commitment of champion journalist to
A journalist did facilitate at a training for journalists, organized by our partner Affirmative Action, to have a better understanding about LGBTI issues ...
2018
Burkina Faso: Activities for LBQ women from Ouagadougou
Empowerment of LBQ women and Transgenders in Burkina Faso, through the work of a LBQ organisation in Ouagadougou, which organizes for instance soccers plays, ...
2018
Burkina Faso: Stories of LGBTI people from Bobo Dioulasso
Stories of LGBTI individuals from Bobo Dioulasso, members of association Alternative Burkina, about rejection, love, misunderstanding, discrimination at ...
Haiti: National training for community leaders
How to learn to be a good community leader? Results of a training dedicated to leaders of the main LGBTI organisations in Haiti, which reinforced the skills ...
Belize: 1st Caribbean Regional meeting PRIDE
COC’s partner organisations from Belize, Guyana and Haiti together with representatives from the regional networks ECADE and CariFLAGS gathered for the ...
2018
Malawi: Transforming the discourse around LGBTI
Insights in how CEDEP in Malawi has been engaging with the media and has been able to change the ways (some) media report on sexual orientation, gender ...
2018
Botswana: As The Court Pleases – An Assessment Of
In March 2013, LEGABIBO put a case before the courts to challenge refusal to register the organisation. In November 2014 LEGABIBO won the case at the High ...
2018
Kenya: the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
In 2013, three Kenyan activists advocating for the advancement of the human rights of sexual and gender minorities committed to engaging at the ACHPR for ...
2018
South Africa: The power of safe spaces for dialogue
Providing safe spaces for LGBTI communities – also in rural areas – helps bring them into contact with their peers, with practitioners and with police ...
2018
South Africa: A trans colleague in the police force
Holding discussions about gender-neutral toilets and following a training helped contribute to the acceptance of a colleague who is a transman in the South ...
Kenya: Service Delivery and Uptake for MSM and MSW
The document highlights the implementation and the achievements achieved so far in service provision and uptake at the wellness centre. The analysis and ...
2018
United Nations: Activists lobbying in the UPR-cycle
Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Ghana and Pakistan received many recommendations on SOGIESC issues from other countries in the UN Universal Periodic Review-cycle, resulting ...
2018
Malawi: Peer Education Programme
Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) is one of the organizations implementing evidence based prevention project targeting men who have sex with ...
2017
South Africa: Integrated Training for Health Care Providers
To read more about the lessons learned open the PDF-document below: LL 40 Integrated Training for Health Care This lessons learned document was developed ...
South Africa: Trans and Gender Affirming Health Care
It starts with the first contact at the front desk: how does the administrator reacts on you? The trainings by Gender Dynamix sentisize all workers in the ...
2017
South Africa: Scaling up Free PREP
As a community based organisation, OUT in Pretoria is selected as one of the three organisations to roll out PREP in South Africa. This Story of change ...
2017
South Africa: Respect by Men and Women in Blue
Sergent Bonginkosi tells about his increased knowlegde of Human Rights, resulting in more respect for LGBTI in his and his colleagues daily work as police ...
Vietnam: I am a Woman who Loves Women
A great serie of photography from Northern Vietnam where Women Loving Women (WlW) came out on social media. CSAGA’s social media campaign did reach ...
Malawi: Advocacy Approaches
To read more about the lessons learned open the PDF-document below: LL30 – Advocacy Approaches in Malawi This lessons learned document was developed ...
2017
MeNa region: Home Queer Home
The QUEER ZONE Project provides a safe space for the LGBT community. There people can express themselves freely and discuss issues that concerns them. How ...
2017
Netherlands: Supporting asylum seekers
LGBTI refugees living in asylum centres have a lot to deal with: a new and different culture, a whole package of procedures and fellow refugees who can ...
2017
Netherlands: Young&Out
This project provides safe spaces where LGBTI teenagers can meet each other and be themselves. The spaces, both online and offline, are well protected and ...
2017
Netherlands: Pink Passkey Project
In the Dutch city of Utrecht, elderly LGBTI people now have more opportunities for LGBTI-inclusive healthcare and nursing-home facilities. Pink Passkey ...
Netherlands: Gender Sexuality Alliances
Students and teachers come together in GSAs to organise activities in their schools regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. Purple Friday (when ...
Netherlands: Repect2Love
This project brings together the bicultural and LGBTI communities. People who are raised within two different cultures and LGBTI people face many of the ...
Ghana: Develop your passion
‘Develop your passion and dare to achieve more’. Quitta (Sadiq) tells about her development as a trans woman and how she has become a role model ...
2017
Ghana: Do it ourselves
‘No one will come and do this for us’. Jo King from CEPEHRG Ghana tells about the strength and courage he gets from seeing his LGBTI peers working ...
Ghana: Embrace yourself and dream
‘Put away your shyness, embrace yourself and dream’ With this personal motto, Manu from One Heart Foundation in Ghana reaches out to HIV-positive ...
Vietnam: WLW Art Exhibition
‘Exposure’ increases the visibility of WLW. In Hanoi, CSAGA organised an art exhibition called ‘Exposure’ about women-loving women (WLW). ...
2017
Botswana: Challenging structural barriers through the Gender
The activity Bonela focused its Lesson Learned Document on is the Gender and Sexual Minorities Coalition which operates in Gaborone and surrounding areas ...
2017
Ghana: Working as one movement
The fact that there is now one strong national movement in Ghana represents a major change. Thanks to capacity building (stimulated and sponsored by donors), ...
2017
Zambia: Health Care Providers’ sensitization and capacity
Trans Bantu Zambia’s (TBZ) lessons learned focussed on Health Care Providers (HCP) sensitisation on the health needs and appropriate services for Trans ...
2017
Kyrgyzstan: Factory of activism
Labrys: The Central Asian factory of activism. Labrys is a good example of an organisation that works on different levels to achieve social change. For ...
2017
Kazakhstan: A nationwide movement
Kazakhstan: A Nationwide Movement Having started with small groups, now there is a nationwide movement that organises different events where information ...
Central Asia: Changing the doctor
The doctor: From a door slammed shut to an open door. In a meeting between a doctor and an LGBTI organisation, the doctor had expressed that LGBTI patients ...
Ukraine: Ready for change!
In Ukraine, LGBTI people are ready to change their society – right now! Years of careful community building by LIGA has resulted in a movement that is ...
Kyrgyzstan: Legal rights success
A discriminatory bill is defeated in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz Indigo prevented a bill from being passed that would have prohibited mentioning LGBTI people in ...
South Africa: LGBTI refugee programme
Triangle Project has been providing services to LGBTI people in the Western Cape for 35 years and we always guide our work by understanding that being an ...
2017
Haiti: Front runners
Empowered front runners of Haiti at the roots of social change in Haiti. Community-based organisations come together in a COC workshop to create strong ...
2017
Tanzania: Training refugee organisations
Refugee organisations are trained on LBGTI human rights and sexuality. This story ‘Sexuality and Love of Humanity’ by SANA from Tanzania, transformed ...
Tanzania: Queer Moslim faith
A queer moslim reconciles his heart with the Islamic faith. By following a workshop with peers, Salum Abdullah from Tanzania made a positive connection ...
Kenya: Parties as safe spaces
How to create safe spaces and connect to healthcare: Parties! ISHTAR’s parties in Kenya are well attended. They are the place to be for fun, meeting ...
