Togolese Association for Abandoned Women (ATFA)
Faced with the difficulties encountered by young LGBTQIA+ people (stigmatisation, rejection by their families because of their presumed or confirmed sexual orientation or because of their HIV status), the ATFA association realised that there was a lack of a caring place for these communities.
ATFA organises weekly discussion groups for LGBTQIA+ youth and other key populations to support those on treatment, promote non-violence and advocate with families for possible family reintegration with the support of LGBTQIA+ youth themselves.
As a result of these meetings, a think tank was set up to amplify the actions in association with two resource persons, a clinical psychologist and a medical assistant.
The main activity consists of reminding the group to take their treatment through an alert without identifying who is on treatment or not in the group.
Therapeutic patient education (TPE) is organised once a month by the clinical psychologist and one of the group members to help participants understand the benefits of ARV treatment.
Missions :
- working to promote gender equality ;
- promote hygiene and health in prisons;
- Work towards good information, education and behaviour change communication (IEC/BCC) among the general population and vulnerable groups/key populations;
- Work on therapeutic patient education (TPE);
- providing psychological follow-up for PLHIV in general and for prisoners;
- Fight against discrimination and stigmatisation of PLHIV in the general population and key populations;
- Work on sexual and reproductive health education and rights for women and girls, particularly women prisoners and young female apprentices;
- Working to find relatives of prisoners with HIV who have not been visited;
- promoting art and culture as a means of expression for key populations;
- organising personal development training for self-esteem;
- create a training centre for the professional reintegration of vulnerable people;
- raise awareness and provide information on all sexualities (heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer practices) in relation to STI/HIV among the general population, vulnerable communities and key groups;
- Promote the free distribution of condoms and lubricant gels to key communities, vulnerable groups and the general population;
- Strengthen the capacity of women prisoners, discriminated/stigmatised PLHIV, lesbians, bisexuals and female sex workers in self-esteem and knowledge of their rights.
