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!

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Rencontre entre le Secrétariat de la Pan Africa ILGA et les

Le 13 janvier 2022, le Secrétariat de la Pan Africa ILGA (PAI) et le Conseil d’Administration ont organisé une réunion stratégique nationale avec ...
2022

La Pan Africa ILGA organise une formation sur les

La Pan Africa ILGA (PAI) a dispensé une formation sur les mécanismes des droits humains du 1 au 5 novembre 2021 pour les défenseu.r.se.s des droits des ...

Pan Africa ILGA hosts Human Rights Mechanisms training for

Pan Africa ILGA (PAI) conducted the Human Rights Mechanisms Training from the 1st to the 5th of November 2021 for  LGBTIQ+ advocates* (28 in-person ...

Pan Africa ILGA Secretariat meet up with Uganda member

On January 13th, 2022, the Pan Africa ILGA (PAI) Secretariat and the Board held an in-country strategic meeting with PAI member organisations representatives ...

Intensification du développement des Centres

Les groupes Trans* et intersexes du Kenya ont des difficultés à trouver, demander et mettre en œuvre des financements. De nombreux groupes Trans* et ...

Scaling-Up Centres Of Excellence for Advocacy and

Trans* and Intersex groups in Kenya face barriers to finding, applying for, and implementing grants. Many nascent Trans* and Intersex groups in the country ...

Investir dans la nouvelle génération de leaders LGBTIQ en

Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) a ouvert l’Académie de Leadership pour les jeunes leaders du mouvement LGBTIQ en Ouganda, baptisée la SMUG Quchu ...

Investing in the next generation of LGBTIQ leaders in Uganda

Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) launched a Leadership Academy for young leaders in the LGBTIQ movement in Uganda, dubbed the SMUG Quchu Leadership Academy ...

Travailler « Main dans la main » au Bénin

S’assurer que les décisions sont prises au niveau aussi local que possible, et aussi régional/mondial que nécessaire » » fait partie ...

Working « Hand in Hand » in Benin

Ensuring that decisions are made ‘as locally as possible, and as regionally/globally as necessary’ is one of the founding principles of the Power of ...

Supporting LBQ entrepreneurs in Guyana : Francesca and

With the support of COC, Guy Bow ran an economic empowerment project for the LBQ community in Guyana. By providing business training and small loans, they ...
2021

Homophobic attack at the office of Alternatives Burkina

Members of Alternative Burkina explain how the raid of their community center in April 2020 has strongly affected the LGBTI community of Bobo Dioulasso. ...
2021

Trans community in Burkina Faso: a sense of achievement

The trans community in Burkina revisits the changes brought by the PRIDE programme over the years : an increased visibility and place in the broader LGBTI ...

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 ...
2020

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