How We Fund Change
At UHAI EASHRI, we move resources to movements—not as charity, but as an act of reparative justice. Our grantmaking is power-aware, community-led, and rooted in the lived realities of LGBTIQ+ people and sex workers across Eastern Africa. Since 2009, we have resourced bold, intersectional movements in Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda to build collective power, claim their rights, and sustain their wellbeing. We fund not just projects, but the pursuit of freedom—grounded in trust, guided by context, and held accountable to the communities we exist to serve. This is how we stand with movements as they lead the charge toward justice, dignity, and lasting liberation.
Our Grant Making Model
At UHAI EASHRI, we move resources to movements—not as charity, but as an act of reparative justice.
Rooted in the local Community
Our funding strategy is rooted in deep listening and collective wisdom. It is shaped by activists from the very communities we support—LGBTIQ+ people and sex workers —whose lived experiences, political clarity, and movement knowledge guide where and how resources flow. This ensures our grantmaking remains relevant, power-aware, and boldly responsive to the shifting landscapes of resistance, resilience, and possibility across East Africa.
Participatory and Transparent
Decisions are made by our Peer Grants Committee—18 movement activists from across the region who bring firsthand experience, political insight, and deep connection to community realities—or by our cross-departmental Secretariat Grants Committee, depending on the grant type. This participatory structure ensures that every grant is not only grounded in shared lived realities, but also advances community-led priorities with legitimacy, transparency, and collective accountability.
Flexible, Unresticted and Multi-year
We offer a variety of grants—from annual peer-determined support to rapid response and strategic grants. Whether it’s funding urgent security needs or scaling national advocacy, our grants meet the moment.
Types of Grants we Offer
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Peer-Determined Grants
- Msingi – Foundational support for emerging groups
- Tujenge – Growth grants for program and core costs
- Imarisha – Long-term support for sustainability
- Uimara – Large-scale, flexible funding for networks and coalitions
Secretariat-Determined Grants
- Strategic Grants – Long-term, high-impact initiatives
- Opportunity Grants – For emerging advocacy or funding gaps
- Rapid Response Grants – For urgent threats to community safety
- Capacity Support Grants – To build skills, systems, and resilience
Capacity Strengthening
We recognise that funding alone isn’t enough—movements need power, vision, and accompaniment.
Because of this, our capacity strengthening work is about more than training or toolkits; it’s about walking in solidarity with our grantee partners to nurture resilience, sharpen strategy, and build lasting impact. Rooted in trust and co-creation, our approach honours the brilliance already within LGBTIQ+ and sex worker communities across Eastern Africa.
Through tailored support—like coaching, mentorship, strategic grants, and peer-to-peer learning—we help organisations grow from seed to strength, navigate challenges, and deepen their political organising. Our Bloom, Rejuvenate, and Courage pipelines are more than frameworks—they are radical commitments to accompany movements at every stage of their journey, whether emerging, evolving, or rebuilding.
We strengthen not just organisations, but leaders, networks, and movement ecosystems—because sustainable change demands strong foundations. We don’t just build capacity. We invest in bold leadership, fierce vision, and the unstoppable power of collective action. Read more about our Capacity Support Strategy work here in English, French, and Swahili.
How it works
We issue multilingual calls across East Africa.
Community-led committees or staff teams assess proposals.
Applicants are notified, and feedback is shared.
Funds are released upon signing contracts.
We check in, support, and learn with our grantees.