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Mapenzi Queer Foundation

We’re saving lives, one queer soul at a time.

Welcome to Mapenzi Queer Foundation

At the heart of East Africa, where love is often silenced and identity can mean danger, Mapenzi Queer Foundation rises as a voice for the voiceless, a home, a shield, and a movement led by LGBTQ+ refugees, for LGBTQ+ refugees.

We are not just a foundation. We are survivors. We are a community of queer individuals who have fled violence, rejection, and persecution, escaping countries where being who we are is treated like a crime. Forced into exile with nothing but hope, we found each other in the darkest moments, and together, we chose love. Mapenzi means “love”, and that is what we stand for.

Born in the margins, we built a safe space with our own hands. A place where queer refugees can sleep without fear. Where we can share a meal, laugh, cry, and heal. We run a humble shelter in Kenya, where we care for over 50 LGBTQ+ individuals. Every day is a struggle, for food, for medicine, for safety, but every day is also a chance to show the world that we exist, we matter, and we are not giving up.

Our bracelets, handmade by our own hands, are more than accessories, they are symbols of resilience, pride, and hope. By wearing one, you’re not just supporting a cause, you’re standing with us in solidarity.

✊ Why We Need You

We receive no government support. As refugees, we cannot legally work. Our survival depends entirely on donations, partnerships, and the generosity of strangers who believe that every human being deserves dignity, regardless of who they love or how they identify.

Your support helps us:

Keep our shelter running
Feed those who are hungry
Provide medication and emergency care
Advocate for refugee resettlement
Celebrate queer lives through Pride and community events

💖 Join Us

You can help change the course of a life. Read our stories. Share our mission. Buy a bracelet. Make a donation. Be part of a global family that refuses to let hatred win.

Together, we can turn pain into power, and silence into visibility.

Welcome to Mapenzi Queer Foundation, where love is our protest, and survival is our strength.

What we do

We provide shelter, food, protection, and hope to LGBTQ+ refugees fleeing danger in East Africa.

Advocacy & Awareness

We speak out for the silenced. Through storytelling and global outreach, we demand safety, rights, and freedom for our queer family.

Shelter & Protection

We offer safe housing to LGBTQ+ refugees who are escaping violence and persecution in Uganda, South Sudan, Congo, and beyond.

Food & Essentials

We provide meals, clean water, clothes, and hygiene products to help queer refugees survive with dignity and strength.

Skills & Empowerment

We help LGBTQ+ refugees learn new skills like bracelet making, art, digital outreach, and storytelling. These projects bring hope, purpose, and a path to self-sufficiency — even in the darkest times.

Our Numbers Tell a Story

These numbers are more than just data — they reflect real lives changed, meals served, and voices uplifted.

From a growing global community to thousands of meals and moments of hope, we’re proud to build impact day by day.

Reached Worldwide

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Queers Assisted

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Funds Raised

$ 0 +

Basic Needs Provided

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From Uganda to Rwanda and beyond, queer Africans are standing tall, smiling through pain, and refusing to be erased. These beautiful souls deserve safety, love, and equal rights, not exile.

We dream in color. Every rainbow flag we raise is an act of resistance, and a call for justice, dignity, and love.

Ugandan queer activists risk their lives to speak truth. We march because silence is deadly. We protest because we believe in freedom.

One body, one flag, one message: we are here, we exist, and we will not be erased. This is Queer Awareness.

In the face of rejection, our trans siblings in Nairobi find moments of beauty, dignity, and sisterhood. This is more than makeup , it’s healing.

In this humble yard, we build courage. Two queer refugees pose not for attention, but to show the world that even in exile, identity is strength.

This overcrowded room is home to over 20 LGBTQ+ souls escaping violence. With your help, we can rent more safe spaces and give them room to breathe, heal, and sleep in peace.

LGBTQ+ refugees from Uganda resting after fleeing persecution.

In a world that forced us to flee for simply being ourselves, we stand tall—bold, unshaken, and proud. This is more than a photo; it is a testament to queer resilience, to chosen family, and to the love that survives even in the harshest places. We may be refugees, but we are also warriors of hope, and we refuse to be erased.

This brave queer activist fled South Sudan after facing relentless threats, violence, and discrimination for living openly as a transgender woman. In a country where being herself meant risking her life, she made the courageous decision to seek safety in Kenya. Despite the trauma of exile, she has become a strong voice for LGBTQ+ refugees, using her story and presence to inspire others and demand dignity, protection, and visibility for all queer people who have been forced to flee their homes.

This is the food and basic needs we are able to receive thanks to the donations we get online and from the bracelets we sell, including rice, flour, vegetable oil, soap, and other essentials. These supplies help us sustain our shelter and support LGBTQ+ refugees who have nowhere else to turn. Every donation and bracelet purchase plays a direct role in helping us survive with dignity, hope, and strength. We are deeply grateful to everyone who stands with us.

This photo shows the reality of how we survive — with basic food items and hygiene supplies that we are only able to access thanks to generous online donations and support from those who purchase our bracelets. These supplies may seem simple, but to us, they are life-saving. In a world that often forgets LGBTQ+ refugees, every sack of rice, every bar of soap, and every drop of oil is a reminder that someone out there still cares.

Every Night, One More Queer Soul Sleeps on the Floor — Help Us Give Them a Bed, a Meal, and a Future.

Right now, LGBTQ+ refugees are crammed into shelters with no beds, no food, and no peace. They’ve escaped violence, only to face hunger and fear again. Your donation can help us give them comfort, dignity, and the chance to dream again.

Love Bracelets $30

Mapenzi Classic Bracelet These are our original and most loved bracelets, handmade by LGBTQ+ refugees. Each bead represents a story of courage, unity, and hope. Worn as a symbol of love and support, your purchase helps us provide food, shelter, and safety to those who need it most. Wear it proudly, because love always wins.

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