Stories from the Marginalised Show Case Their Resilience

Stories from the Marginalised Show Case Their Resilience

 Activism to some is protesting or street marches. But are you aware that story-telling is a form of activism and advocacy?

Imagine when you are given the opportunity to meet a high profile judge to tell your story so that it can be tailored to meet the structured expectations of court cases. Imagine still that your story is around sexuality and identity issues! How would you feel? Scared or shy!

 We put this question before Sulah and the team who met Judge Dr. Alice Nkom.

 There was this opportunity to meet the judge so that they are able to tell their stories. The idea behind was to connect them to a justice system as well as show case evidence of people who are suffering under the heavy yoke of criminality just because of their sexuality and identity.

Such opportunities benefit both the silent and visible. When the stories are used they become evidence which s admissible in courts of law. This is unique and innovative. In networking with high profile allies who are influential or have got high reputation, it helps in changing the narrative from criminalisation to seeing all humans as deserving of dignity and sanctity to life. This was the case when Sulah and team met Dr. Alice Nkom who is a living legend.

According to None on Record’s website, “Dr. Nkom a prominent defense lawyer in Cameroon and a campaigner for the decriminalization of same-sex relationships started activism in 1969 at the age of 24. She became Cameroon’s first female attorney, breaking barriers for many women in the region. She worked to defend a variety of people, including young victims of police violence, but she has devoted her practice to defending people accused of homosexuality in Cameroon. She is the founder of the Association for the Defence of Homosexuality. In 2003, she refused to close her practice. “Someone has to do it”, she says. "This is a fight as noble as fighting for women and all the other fights. It concerns our common humanity."

Sulah and team shared their stories of pain, disinheritance, persecution and decision to seek asylum due to their orientation and identity with Dr. Nkom. She was able in turn to use such stories to influence the international and African governments to enact laws that entrenched respect for all persons. Sexuality and identity other than that which is hetero-conforming should not be grounds for criminalisation.  People who are not hetero-conforming do not cease being a human, nor does it make one a lesser being. Giving these stories was about humanizing and showing how one was hurt, deprived, disinherited and disowned. This can lead to further vulnerability as well as conflicts with law of any given country in case people are pushed to homelessness. In addressing and regarding LGBTIQQ as human-beings provides opportunities for them to engage in quality life promoting practices. It builds self-esteem and self-worth for them.

 @noneonrecord #AfricanAllies  #Cameroon  #africanally , @alicenkom

Meeting With Judge Dr. Nkom

Story-telling is a form of advocacy

We are all smiles

Oh, come on!

My name is Sulah!

Celebrating Movement Building; A Lynch pin in Fighting HIV, TB, Malaria

We are so happy to have supported many CBOs in Africa!

This is how we shall build the necessary institutional basis for fighting HIV, TB and Malaria integrating COVID-19 response and recovery.

Report on Virtual Pride Day Celebrations Planning Meeting Outcomes

Dear team,

Re: Report on Virtual Pride Day Celebrations Planning Meeting Outcomes

We organised ourselves into a committee of three persons who would then design the best approach to conducting the Pride Zoom Event.

At 7:00 pm on 26^th June 2020, we attended a planning meeting in which we made arrangements to identify the best way we could be part of the Bridges of Love Alliance Virtual Pride Day Events.

We identified the needs; resources and persons to do particular roles.

We came up with a broad and activity plans below:

TITLE: Family Based Therapy Model Benefits Activity Plan

THEME: “Stories Rooted From Resilience”

OBJECTIVE:

-Design/formulate an activity plan frame in which Preparation for Nature Network Group-Bridges of Love Alliance Virtual Pride activities are shown:

S/N ACTIVITIES RESOURCES MATERIALS        WHO REMARKS 1 Formulating Activity plan Stationery Tom Sulah Wasswa Tom/Sulah/Wasswa Draw up activity Come up with a broad plan/Script 2 Generating a script Brian storming Stationery Understanding FBTM Tom Sulah Wasswa do 3 Establish a What Who When Whom Where Which Who Value-belief system/scale             do Tom Sulah Wasswa              do 4 Generate a hierarchy of feedback (Organogramme)      do       do   do

The Script or Broad Plan

TITLE: Family Based Therapy Model (FBTM)

Self-introduction: Sulah and Wasswa.

What is FBTM?

Family Based Therapy Model in full.

Definition of FBTM:

This is when a community is setup or organized as a family unit. The members of this community or house hold agree to share the same space; establish boundaries for each other; respect each other; seek permission to use privately owned property; judiciously use commonly owned articles, equipment, files, utensils, spaces; provide/ contribute time and resources to build harmony and bond with each other; establish mechanism for de-escalation, conflict resolution and feedback provision.

HOW?

This shows what we do in order to for us to come up with a clear pattern of doing things or a road-map.

1.       Establish a timetable/ schedule according to weekly days as well as responsibilities/roles.

2.       Identify the strength in persons and give roles according to strength.

3.       Report writing and updating social media platforms and review meetings.

4.       Networking and out reaches.

5.       Resource sharing

6.       Fundraising and resource mobilization

7.       Engaging with host communities.

WHEN?

This is to illustrate what we do in order for us to put in practice our ideals.

1.       Review Meetings

§  Weekly Tuesday  review meetings 

§  Disciplinary/de-escalation/conflict resolution meetings

§  Monthly  meetings

§  Quarterly meetings

§  Annually meetings

2.       Social media updates

§  Thematic Mondays, cultural Thursday ,celebratory Wednesday, grateful Friday

§  Strategic campaigns involve raising awareness around given issues in life

§  Planned activity schedules where we use UN observances to contribute to the conversation around health promotions and quality life advocacy.

BENEFITS

Family Based Therapy Model has benefits:

a.       Provide Value-Belief System

b.      Affirm roles and responsibilities

a.       VALUE AND BELIEFS include:

§  Bonding

§  Organized structure

§  Therapeutic (Healing Dance Sessions, nature walk, skit development, book reading, flexibility, leadership, dependability, reliability)

§  Identifying personal strength, upliftment of these strengths and providing opportunities for growth (room for growth)

§  Ability to generate individual profiles which can be used to develop resume or CV

§  Improves on self-esteem  and trust among each other

b.      Roles and responsibilities include:

§  Hierarchy of feedback in which we have;

                                                    I.            Father figure

                                                  II.            Mother figure

                                                III.            Big sister

                                                IV.            Aunt

                                                  V.            Big brother

§  People  one  can confide in

CONCLUSION

Moderator Sulah: My own experience is that FBTM has been an empowerment and a safe place where I nurtured:

ü  Self-belief

ü  Self-awareness

ü  Leadership

ü  Dependability

ü  Reliability

ü  Protection                                                       

Moderator Wasswa: I am the Community Health Navigator and FBTM has enabled me: identify who to report too for guidance.

APPRECIATION AND FAREWELL