Africa Queer Network and Trans Rescue have been cooperating to help trans people trapped in Uganda’s prison system. Previously we have freed three from various prisons. Now we are concentrating on the notorious Luzira Upper Prison and have freed 8 trans women from there.
AQNetwork in Uganda has been investigating rumors of “many” trans women in Luzira Upper Prison. Luzira is a maximum security men’s prison, inappropriate for anyone awaiting trial and particularly for vulnerable trans women. The design capacity of Luzira is 1750, but it currently houses over 8500 inmates in deplorable conditions. Torture, physical, and sexual abuse are rampant.
Communications in and out of Luzira are restricted. AQNetwork’s director, at some risk to her own safety, managed to get 8 names and case numbers. All we have identified have been picked up explicitly on anti-homosexuality related ordinances or on thinly veiled “disturbing the peace” type ordinances. These women have not been convicted. They were on remand and simply needed bail funds to be released. Yet some were there for years.
Using funds from the Trut Foundation E Africa Decarceration grant and an emergency grant from the Guerilla Foundation’s Funder’s Circle, we have arranged the release of these women, and funded expanding the capacity of AQNetwork’s shelter to house them.
We were able to ask one of the women to start collecting names and case numbers of other trans women in the prison. Within a few days we expect to start identifying more. Before all are rescued, we may have as many as 100.
We are expecting these costs, based on 100 cases and the per-bed cost at AQNetwork’s existing 15 bed shelter, in euros:
9982 bail cost
1500 mattresses and bedding
1250 clothing allowance
8300 cost of operating a 100 bed facility (in actuality a number of smaller ones) for 90 days
4200 unanticipated costs, overhead (20%)
Total: 25000€
This number might be adjusted up or down in the next week as we obtain better information about the situation inside Luzira. This is very much a work in progress.
This is not a situation where we must raise the entire amount to do good. Every 250€ we raise is one more woman out of that hell hole.
But we are particularly putting out an appeal to other organisations to assist in this effort. We are not a large organisation, this is a large project for us.
Donations can be sent via our donation widget Or bank transfer to IBAN NL53BUNQ2067331108, Stichting Trans Rescue Foundation.
For questions or to let us know your donation was intended for this effort, email annie@transrescue.org