INDIGENOUS MEN-WHO-HAVE-SEX-WITH-MEN (MARPs) AMONG BENET AND NDOROBO OF MOUNTAIN ELGON, MBALE, UGANDA

The Human Rights and Human face of things

Keziah and Mukose (not real names) are light skinned, 22 and 24 year old, lean, transgendered male sex-workers and are mobilisers (under build better communities) from the Benet and Ndorobo indigenous tribes of Uganda. They were formerly in school but stopped because they could not afford fees. They trace their woes back to around January- February 2008, when the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces evicted more than 4,000 people from the Benet and Ndorobo communities living in Mount Elgon National Park in East Uganda. People’s houses and crops were destroyed, cattle were confiscated and the people were left homeless. They have struggled to look for shelter, school fees and subsistence. MARPS IN UGANDA has worked with 72 Benets and 125 Ndorobo MSM (aged 18-42 years) since 2010. 27 Benet are 18-22 years; 22 Benet are 23-32 years; 23 Benet are 33+ years. 100 Ndorobo are 18-22 years; 25 are 23-32 years. In working with them the following have been their frequently demanded needs:
1. Enforcement of court ruling that re-instated the Benet as having a legal right to live in Mount Elgon National Park. In October 2005, the Ugandan High Court in Mbale ruled that the Benet were the “historical and indigenous inhabitants” of parts of Mount Elgon National Park. The ruling stated that the Benet should be allowed to “carry out agricultural activities” in the areas to which they have historical claim.
2. Providing scholarship for post secondary education. Because of lack of money, they engage in male sex-work and 23 were treated for STIs between January 2010-June 2011.
3. They shared cases of intimidation, gang-rape, exposure to unprotected receptive anal sexual intercourse.
4. They demanded for condoms and lubricant gels.
5. Need to belong to an empowering organisation to reach out to their communities.
WHAT MARPS IN UGANDA CAN DO ABOUT IT:
1. Seek funding to continue with generating reports about indigenous MSM in Uganda.
2. Provide support in form of a refuge transitory home.
3. Provide lubricants, condoms and an HIV awareness seminar.
4. Link the Benet and Ndorobo to poverty alleviation programmes through engaging them in participatory learning/planning sessions and eventually come up with a winning proposal which can then be used to solicit for funding.
5. Establish MARPS IN UGANDA as a lead organisation on MARPs issues and bring out the broader issues fuelling MARPs issues.
6. Provide a platform to address MARPs issues beyond HIV into HUMAN RIGHTS and DEVELOPMENT.