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Raise Awareness About Homosexuality  

This project is made to improve self confidence among homosexual youths and aims at willing the yawning gap, and building self-belief and confidence among homosexual youths. This project is designed in such a way that this group will not be left out in intervention. The project comes with the following objectives; Promote the rights of homosexual youths, children, raise awareness about homosexuality, to build self-confidence, realization and esteem in homosexual oriented youths, children. To achieve the following project objectives many activities are undertaken like Organize public debates, Capacity Building Training Sessions on Homosexuality with Media representatives, peaceful matches, and petition policymakers on the need to legalize homosexuality. Use this sample proposal to know how with the right knowledge and change in attitude will reverse the problem.

Background

Malawi is party to a number of International Human Rights protocols. These include instruments that advocate for the respect for minority rights- notably, women, commercial sex workers, homosexuals, among others. Among other obligations, party members are expected to protect, safeguard and promote these rights at all times, and under all circumstances. However, the case is different in Malawi and, indeed, most African countries as Minority Rights continue to be trampled upon, and such minority groups in society as homosexuals continue to live lives of self-denial, suffer from confidence deficiency, and continue to doubt their rightful place in society. In many ways, this trend has affected the social-economic status of many countries including Malawi, as these marginalized groups feel not duty bound to contribute fully towards sustainable social-economic development. At the individual level, these groups suffer from the general lack of self-belief, endure psychological pressure, and live detached lives. Malawi and, indeed, many African countries are living on a time bomb; a social bomb whose consequences have a deep surface in the areas of health, social, religious, economic, and culture. It is clear, therefore, that putting in place requisite interventions is not only a matter of convenience; it is a matter of urgency. The Improving Self Confidence among Homosexual Youths in Malawi: Minority Rights are Human Rights Project (hereinafter referred to as ‘Minority Rights are Human Rights Project) aims at filling this yawning gap, and building self-belief and confidence among homosexual youths in Malawi, a group in Malawian society that has been neglected since independence in 1964, and continues to suffer silently in the face of plentiful resources that would otherwise have been put to good use, and despite Malawi being party to a myriad human rights protocols, conventions and instruments.

Problem Statement

While Malawi has committed herself to upholding human rights, in the spirit of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990), and various other instruments guaranteeing the rights of minority groups in society, in effect, the country has been suppressing minority rights in a number of ways. For instance, in its Vision 2020 Development Plans (created in the early 1990s, at the dawn of multiparty democracy), Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (its successor), and, now the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (which government claims in the local version of the Millennium Development Goals), there is no mention of minority rights, raising the question: Is development possible without taking into consideration the needs of minority groups in society? Experience and research findings show that, to the contrary, neglecting minority rights retards development. This problem is compounded by the realization that all efforts aimed at targeting minority groups, especially homosexuals (the target beneficiaries of this project) focus on the old generation, most of it has grown up with homophobic tendencies, leaving aside a crucial component of the Malawi population: youths and children. This has affected the mental and physical development of Malawian children and youths.  Some of the crucial areas affected include:

    • Personal understanding and exploration

This derives from the evidence-based findings purporting that children investigate their own personal values and learn to identify and exercise different values through the exploration of citizenship ideas and on-going interaction with peers. These explorations also touch on physical and emotional development. As such, it is necessary to have programmatic areas tackling these aspects through interventions like the Minority Rights are Human Rights Project for these children, and Malawian youths, to make informed decisions and exercise good personal discretion to use these skills and any such knowledge responsibly.

    • Rights and responsibilities

While the Aflatoun, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990), the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs), and the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) are grounded on the premise of respect for human and, therefore, minority and child rights, which mainly revolve around four sets of independent rights, there are yawning gaps when it comes to implementing these rights, especially in developing countries such as Malawi. As a result, children are broadly unaware about their rights pertaining to sexual orientation and are thus largely unaware about responsibilities that go hand in hand with those rights; as well as their obligation towards themselves, their family, the environment and their respective communities. The problems encountered by Malawian children mainly originate from the lack of early childhood development program, a situation that makes it difficult even for most adults to grasp basic requirements that are folder for children in developed countries. This stems from the propagation of a culture and policy initiatives that discourage intellectual discourse at an early age thus breeding less-knowledgeable adults who, mainly, find it difficult to realize the importance of early knowledge about minority rights, sexual orientation and respect for the rights of others. Consequently, these necessities have largely come to be viewed as unimportant by the majority of Malawian citizens that a comprehensive program of action aimed at building the confidence of homosexual youths and children in Malawi and changing the negative mindset through an aggressive awareness campaign on the rights of homosexuals is the best course of action to undertake. It is clear that part of the problem has been perpetuated by the general lack of civil society advocacy, paving the way for increased cases of child abuse and neglect.

Although scanty information is available on the nature and extent of these abuses in the country, and on the continent at large, there are clear pointers demonstrating that homophobia against homosexual children exists, and goes both unabated and unreported. It is business as usual, sadly. One such pointer is the Third African Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1999 at which many presentations identified a wide range of incidences and cases. These ranged from interfamilial forms such as physical and sexual abuse to societal type of child abuse against such extremely vulnerable groups as street children, Child labour and sexual exploitation. The conference also noted that some cultural practices that promote homophobia and a culture of silence in the face of various forms of abuse are common on the African continent; perpetuating corporal punishment such as female genital mutilation. All this is happening against the background that children and youths constitute over 60 per cent of the Malawian population. The HIV and AIDS pandemic has also made the problem of children very difficult. Available statistics indicate that there are some 11 million orphans in Africa due to the pandemic – and with traditional systems of child care getting eroded – the majority of these orphans take care of themselves (child-headed households) and stand a greater risk of being brain-washed on issues to do with homosexuality, apart from being vulnerable to various forms of abuse and exploitation. Statistics from the National AIDS Commission of Malawi indicate a worsening situation of HIV and AIDS, as 1.5 million children are reported to be orphaned. For most of these children, orphan-hood translates into lost education opportunities, including objective knowledge on sexual orientation. Fred David has argued in his book “Strategic Management” that the purpose of education is not knowledge but action which is in line with the Aflatoun concept and motto of separating fiction from fact – explore, think, investigate and act hence empowering children to become change-makers and savers. With lost education opportunities, these children also lose the chance to become life-changers. Xxx -Malawi Chapter has designed the Minority Rights are Human Rights Project in such a way that this group will not be left out in our intervention. It is clear from all these that the Malawian child, and youth, is bred to become homophobic in his or her outlook on sexual orientation, making the need for a project of this nature a matter of urgency. It is clear that, with the right knowledge and change in attitude, the problem can be reversed and tolerance inculcated within the Malawian psyche.

Background of Anppcan Malawi Chapter

The African Network for the Protection and Prevention of Women and Child, from Abuse and Neglect (xx)-Malawi Chapter is a welfare organization established in 1999 and registered under the Trustees Incorporation Act of the Laws of Malawi in 2004. Its mandate is to advance the rights and welfare of people of Malawi, in particular the orphaned, vulnerable and marginalized groups in society, women and children. The organisation is committed to the promotion and protection of children and women’s rights through advocacy, monitoring, information sharing, capacity building (rehabilitation) and resource mobilisation.  Nationally, it is a member of the Council for Non-Governmental Organizations in Malawi (CONGOMA), Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC, an umbrella body for 97 human rights organizations in Malawi, and in which NPPCAN holds a Board Membership position), Malawi Gender Coordination Network (NGO-GCN), National Anti-Child Trafficking Network (CTN). Internationally, we are affiliated to the African Network for the Protection and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (xxx- these are child rights non-governmental organizations), the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) in the United States of America.  Recent   affiliations include: Global Match Against Child Labour in India, Young General Assembly in New York, International Social Service (ISS) in Geneva and Aflatoun: Child Savings International, Netherlands.

 Objectives

    • Promote the rights of homosexual youths, children
    • Raise awareness about homosexuality
    • Build self-confidence, realization and esteem in homosexual oriented youths, children
    • Advocate for the rights of homosexual youths, children
    • Safeguard the rights of minority groups in line with international charters, protocols, instruments on human rights propagate the idea that homosexuality is normal
    • Initiate dialogue with religious, traditional leaders and policy makers
    • Galvanize support for the legalization of homosexuality
    • Initiate national debate on homosexuality
    • Promote the integration of homosexual youths, children in mainline society

Project Activities

In order to achieve, the following objectives, the project undertakes to carry out the following activities:

    • Organize public debates, panel discussions on homosexuality issues
    • Organize Capacity Building Training Sessions on Homosexuality with Media representatives, policy makers, traditional leaders, Civil Society Organizations and religious communities.
    • Organize School Visits
    • Write and Publish a Life Skills Kit/Manual for Homosexual Youths, Children
    • Conduct radio programs on homosexuality
    • Train Out-of-school homosexual youths in Information Technology to increase their chances of accessing knowledge on homosexual issues, and self sufficiency
    • Organize peaceful matches, and petition policymakers on the need to
    • Legalize homosexuality
    • Establish a Drop-In counseling and Confidence Building Centre for Homosexual Youths and children
    • Interact with countries with best practices.

Expected Outcomes

    • Public debates, panel discussions organized, held
    • Capacity Building Training Sessions on Homosexuality with Media representatives, policy makers, traditional leaders, Civil Society Organizations and religious communities
    • School Visits organized
    • Life Skills Kit/Manual for Homosexual Youths, Children published
    • Radio programs on homosexuality broadcast
    • Out-of-school homosexual youths trained in Information Technology to increase their chances of access knowledge on homosexual issues, and self sufficiency
    • Peaceful matches conducted; policymakers petitioned
    • Drop-In counseling and Confidence Building Centre for Homosexual Youths, children established, operational

Project Management

The project activities will be managed by a project management team consisting of  the following:-  Country Director who leads  the secretariat of 24 people made up of the Deputy Director (1), the Finance Officer (1),  Civic Education Officers(3),  M & E Officer (1),  Researcher (1),  Administrative Assistant(1), Gender Officers (2),Accounts Assistant (1), Administrative Secretary(1), Office Assistant(1), Volunteers (10) and Drivers (2).

Operationally, the secretariat works with district committee volunteers who assist to co-ordinate activities at district level, Traditional Authority level and Child Rights clubs in Malawi’s 27 districts. Volunteer members of the committees include chiefs, retired civil servants, religious leaders, teachers and ordinary people in the villages. Xxx has a loose membership, 150 district Members.

The organization’s mission is to enhance, in partnership with other like-minded organizations, the prevention and protection of children from all forms of ill-treatment, neglect, abuse and exploitation, thus ensuring that the rights of children are respected and realized.

Xxx is governed by a Board of Trustees comprising of 6 reputable, high-standing members of society derived from various professions. These include teachers, child development officials, human rights experts, journalists, Lawyers, and labor experts; and are responsible for policy formulation and administrative oversight of the organization. The Board is elected by the General Assembly comprised of all district and committee members. The child rights organization has offices in all the three administrative regions of Malawi, and are represented on the board by, at least, one member. The Country Director heads the secretariat.