No One Should Be Left Behind. Together, We Can Change That.
Right now, LBQT+ people in Kisumu, Kenya are facing hunger, poverty, and violence, made worse by climate change and anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Many are excluded from secure jobs, safe housing, and even basic support.
That’s why we are raising funds for our Ustawi wa Kina (Wellbeing) Fund. This isn’t just a project, it’s a lifeline. It’s a commitment to creating safe, sustainable spaces where LBQT+ people can access food, rebuild their futures, and find the dignity and empowerment they deserve.
But we cannot do this alone.
The Challenge
• In Kisumu County, over 31% of people face food poverty, and households spend more than half their income on food. According to the Kisumu County Integrated Action Plan (2022-2027) and KNBS statistics, food insecurity remains high: The food poverty rate in Kisumu County stood at 31.5%, near the national average. Households spend over 55.6% of their income on food alone. The mean food expenditure per household is Ksh. 3,952, while non-food expenditures average Ksh. 4,299.
• Climate change is devastating agriculture and fishing, the region’s main livelihoods, driving food prices higher every month.
• On top of these challenges, LBQT+ persons face discrimination that blocks them from jobs, resources, and safety.
Our Solution
The Ustawi wa Kina Fund will:
• Build a hydroponic farm to provide sustainable food and income.
• Expand our community safe space and resource center, including a book club that fosters resilience and learning.
• Launch an open-source digital repository to share knowledge and empower more LBQT+ people beyond Kisumu.
This is about more than survival. It’s about dignity, resilience, and hope.
We Need You — Right Now
Your donation today can plant seeds, literally and figuratively, for a future where no one is left behind. By donating today you are telling LBQT+ people in Kisumu: You are not forgotten. You matter.
Please donate now.
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Who we are
Women Empower and Mentor All (WEmpower) is an affirmative action-oriented community safe space and resource center founded on the bedrock of participatory rural appraisal methodologies in programming and Feminist participatory action and research. WEmpower acknowledges Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer and Gender Diverse Persons (LBQT+) experiences of multiple forms of violence and oppression. Thus, we build resilience and resistance to intersectional challenges, through strength based approaches and manualized interventions that foster economic empowerment, safety and sustainable development aimed at increasing the well-being of LBQT+ Persons.
