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My name is Geofrey and I’m one of the many LGBT+ refugees living in Kenya’s Kakuma camp, the largest refugee settlement in the world. I’m here because I had to flee my home country, Uganda. I would have been severely hurt or even murdered if I’d stayed. So many of my friends have similar stories.

But life in Kakuma isn’t much better. We live in over-occupied, unsanitary shelters. We have no access to proper hygiene, medicine, nutrition, or safety. We’re subject to ongoing transphobic and homophobic violence. Most of the time, we only have each other.

But now, we have a global community of All Out members behind us, who each donated just US$5, US$20, or US$50 to help keep us safe in the months to come.

When COVID-19 landed in Africa, All Out launched an emergency fundraiser with the African Human Rights Coalition (AHRC) and the Refugee Coalition of East Africa (RefCEA).

The money raised so far is going to pay for food, medical care, sanitation, and emergency transportation for over 200 of LGBT+ refugees for the next 3 months.

Because of the huge response, we’re hoping to help 100 additional LGBT+ refugees. All we need are 300 more All Out members to chip in. Can you help out and donate today?

When COVID-19 arrives in Kakuma refugee camp, it’s going to be completely devastating. We aren’t able to leave. The only hospital here has just 180 beds for a population of almost 200,000.

For many, it is all just too much at the moment: the stress of being away from home, the daily terror of being beaten up, and now the fear of COVID-19 coming to a community where so many of us are already immune-compromised.

But with the generosity and compassion of All Out members around the world, we’ll be able to find some strength and resilience and get more help than we’ve ever had before. We won’t feel so unsafe. We won’t feel so alone.

All it takes is a US$5 donation – as much as you might have spent on your commute. Can you donate today?

I sincerely hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe.

Thank you for your support,

– Geofrey

DONATE HERE.

First Published here.