TRANS HOPE stands up for the marginalised trans community
While the Constitution guarantees transgender people the right to equality and the right not to be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender, the reality is that transgender people also face violence and harassment from officials and private citizens.
It is behind this scenery that Trans Hope stepped in and identified the need to become a voice of transgender individuals in KwaZulu Natal. Trans Hope is the first KZN based organisation solely focusing on the Rights of the Transgender Community.
From wanting to help transgender individuals within Umlazi where violence against LGBTI+ is said to be high, the Founder, Sazi Jali saw the need of spreading support across the province. Jali embarked on a journey to bring hope to the transgender and gender diverse community and as a result, the organization was formed and registered in 2019.
Trans Hope was birthed out of a support group for transgender individuals and this group made it possible to see ‘participation approach’ working and has helped many transgender individuals according to their needs. As the first trans-lead organization in the province, the founders wanted the trans community to have access to better resources and for the NGO to be a voice for transgender individuals.
Trans Hope wanted to bring hope to the trans community, and that is where their name of the organization stems. As a champion for trans individuals, the organization’s mission is to increase knowledge about gender identity and sexual orientation expression as well as sexual characteristics (SOGIESC).
“We want to create safe spaces for people who are gender diverse, through killing stigma against LGBTQ+ by building our community and empowering them with understanding about the diversity of humankind,” said Trans Hope.
The NGO is currently based in Umlazi U Section and services the whole of Umlazi. For its accessibility to those who are in need of its services, the youth led organisation has joined scores of young people in utilising online and social media platforms.
The organization also deals with walk-ins as part of its quest to serve the community. What makes Trans Hope special is that its staff are from the community, which makes people relate to them on more than one level. From humble beginnings, the community-based NGO has grown and provides support in 8 districts within the province making it more of a community led organization than a community based one.
As part of its scope, Trans Hope works to empower its community by providing knowledge about LGBTQ+ issues and health care whilst the bulk of its time is spent on advocacy work. “We sanitize schools, clinic, hospitals, churches to provide a safer place for transgender and gender diverse people. We also provide training and conduct workshops,” said the NGO.
Trans Hope has become a home for transgender people within the province with aspirations for mainstream gender diversity in the community now and in the future.
The goal is to achieve this by providing safe spaces within both public and private institutions that trans and gender diverse people can cross paths through education and advocacy. Although the NGO faces barriers such as lack of funding, it says that the biggest reward it experiences is being able to work at ground level and making sure that support and funding is reaching the community.
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