What We Do​

Promoting the Rights of the LGBT Community

• SOLACE INITIATIVE has worked with various local, international and regional organisations in Africa.
• Supported The Initiative for Equal (TIERs) to organise an LGBT Leadership Training in Ghana.
• Partnered with the Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network to organise a security management training for the West African Human Rights Defenders Network (WAHRDN).
• Through Kharis Foundation under World Education, SI supported a USAID MSM/HIV project in 2012.
• Partnered with Center for Popular Education and Human Rights Ghana (CPEHRG) to develop an LGBT policy brief handbook and create a short documentary on creating awareness of LGBT persons in Ghana with support from the U.S Global Equality Fund
• With support from the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), created a strong network of organisations and individuals at the regional and national level to Strengthen the LGBTQ+ Community through Coalition-Building and Strategic Planning.
• Organises quarterly empowerment workshops for the LGBT community through COC Netherlands PRIDE Project.
• On behalf of the Alliance for Equality and Diversity (AfED), currently implementing a national survey on issues of violence and discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community in Ghana to influence policy decisions, with funding from the public affairs department of the U.S Embassy in Ghana.

 

Our key experience is with working with the grass root LGBTQ+ people and empowering them to address the various issues that face LGBTQ+ people daily. We have organised over 15 LGBT community engagements from November 2015-February 2016 with support from the Canada Local Initiative Fund in Ghana. Through the community engagements SI has worked with over 1000 LGBT people across the country.

SOLACE, have unearthed potential leaders from especially the gay and lesbian communities through our community engagements and have strengthen their capacity as leaders through a project titled “Empowerment through Community Strengthening” which was funded by the Planet Romeo Foundation in 2016.

SI has technical persons who have the know-how in program development, leadership and legal education and assistance. We have supported through our hotlines over 100 LGBT people with issues ranging from partner abuse to blackmail and violence attack. We are well-known in the Ghanaian LGBTQ+ community as the key organisation that can work with all level of the LGBTQ+ community especially the poor and the most vulnerable.

Our Leadership Structure

SOLACE is well governed with experts and community leaders on the board of directors, a management team lead by the Executive Director with a Finance and Administrative Officer, Project Manager, Project Assistant and Office Assistant.

The board of directors supports the management team with all the necessary technical know-how and monitor their progress by actively participating in various project activities and having project review meetings to ensure project goals are achieved and value for money is attain for both the donor and the beneficiary.

The Executive Director leads the implementation of initiatives with support from the project manager and the project assistant. The finance manager guides the project financing processes and ensure prudent financial principles are upheld in the implementation of the
project.

The board of directors do vet all proposals and ensures that it is well implemented and achieves a positive outcome. They have also pledged their support for the organization and it activities. They actively do participate in programs and activities when they are needed to ensure that their skills and expertise are also put to bear in implementing projects.

Our Areas of
Focus

Human Rights Advocacy

Lobbying: We lobby with government agencies locally, regionally and internationally to ensure that laws are made to protect and respect the human rights of all persons, specifically, the LGBTQ+ community.

International Human Rights Advocacy; Solace Initiative focus on ensuring Ghana implements all its international human rights obligations. Through international human rights mechanisms, Solace engages government agencies to ensure that human rights of all persons are protected in Ghana.

Paralegal Support & Psychosocial Counselling

We provide paralegal support services, counselling support for HIV&AIDS referral support services to the LGBTQ+ people in Ghana.

Community Empowerment & Support

We educate, empower and support the community on issues relating to LGBTQ+ persons in Ghana.

Networking & Movement Building

We mobilize LGBTQ+ community members for targeted interventions.