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Gay and lesbian advocacy in 2003
Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ)
April 16, 2003

The activities of GALZ in 2003 centre around three main programming areas:

• Positive Image,
• the Affinity Group Programme (with its extension, the All-Africa Programme) and
• the Skills for Life Programme (popularly known as Livelihoods)

All three involve intensive training.

The Affinity Group Programme aims to assist LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered) groups outside Harare to provide essential services to their local communities. So far, seven groups have been identified and registered with the motherboard organisation. Groups have been provided with basic counselling training and, by 2005 all are expected to have two fully-qualified counsellors. In March, a two-day leadership training course was provided to Affinity Group leaders and additional training in this area well as financial management and project management will be provided to groups.

The All-Africa programme extends the Affinity Group training to all emergent LGBT groups in Africa. A conference is planned for the middle of this year to which seventy delegates from West, East and Southern Africa will be invited. The event will take place in Tanzania since a large proportion of the delegates are from East Africa.

With the help of ICC consultants, GALZ has just completed the first of two training manuals aimed at helping newly emerging LGBT groups to organise around their sexuality using the platform of HIV and AIDS. The first manual deals with organisational development and traces some of the history of GALZ's transformation from a small and discreet social group to a national organisation. The second manual is to deal with techniques of campaigning in a hostile climate.

The Livelihoods Programme aims to assist members of GALZ to improve their socio-economic status by finding employment in the formal sector. Training is provided in three broad areas: setting up small businesses, additional training for those already in business who need to fine-tune their skills and educational courses which improve a member's chances of gaining employment. The courses in business training are to be provided by Empretech.

The Health Department of GALZ is making strides to ensure that affordable treatment is available to all members living with HIV. At the moment, economically disadvantaged members registered with the Positive Image programme have access to basic medical care but GALZ is gradually broadening this so that all HIV-positive members have access to life-saving anti-retrovirals. On the safer-sex side, the influx of many new members has prompted the health department to begin a new and aggressive campaign to encourage people to protect themselves from HIV infection.

Visit the GALZ fact sheet

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