PxROAR Africa

Stephen Chukwumah

Improved Youth Health Initiative, Nigeria

Stephen is the founder and Executive Director of Improved Youth Health Initiative, working on sexual health and rights for and with young people in Eastern Nigeria. He is an outspoken defender of human rights in his country, challenging his government’s criminalization of sexual minorities and its affect on HIV and AIDS. He was recently featured on the cover of DyNAMC magazine for his internationally recognized work.

Daniel Kakoma

Transbantu Association, Zambia

Daniel’s passion for human rights has allowed him to commit his skills in documentation and communications at Transbantu Association in Zambia. The organization seeks to attain equal rights for transgender communities. Daniel is a dedicated HIV prevention advocate who is helping to lead LGBT and transgender stakeholders in advocacy to access to PrEP in Zambia.

Richard Lusimbo

Sexual Minorities Uganda

Richard is the Research and Documentation Manager of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), the leading LGBTI umbrella advocacy organization in Uganda since 2012. He is a Co-Director of And Still We Rise, a documentary covering the development of the anti-gay law in Uganda. Richard serves as Co-Chair of Pan Africa ILGA. He has been heavily involved in a range of advocacy and community mobilization activities in Uganda, Africa and internationally, and is helping to lead PrEP advocacy campaigns in Uganda and regionally. He also has a strong background in science and technology, digital security and documentation tools.

Kyomya Macklean Mary

Alliance of Women Advocating for Change, Uganda

Macklean is currently the Executive Director of Alliance of Women Advocating for Change, a network established by sex worker activists. Her focus is on the decriminalization of sex work and the integration of HIV and sexual and reproductive health, including safe and legal abortion services in Uganda. Macklean is a founding member of African Sex Workers Alliance and has been affiliated with a number of other sex worker institutions. She also has experience with injection drug users, as former director of programs at the Uganda Harm Reduction Network. Her domestic and regional work as a representative of overlapping key populations positions her as a strong advocate at the cross section of human rights and HIV.

Materials

• Uganda National PrEP Communication Plan
• AWAC Training Report on Risk Reduction, Coping and Resilience Mechanisms

Olumide Makanjoula

The Initiative for Equal Rights, Nigeria

As the Executive Director of The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIER) based in Lagos, Nigeria, Olumide has over a decade’s worth of sexual health programming. He is engaged in national, regional and international level conversation and advocacy on sexual health and its relation to broader human rights work. He was recently selected as one of the Africa Young Emerging Leaders in Health by the Queen of England. He also produced this PrEP Up! video.

Peter Njane

Ishtar MSM Health and Social Wellbeing, Kenya

Peter is the Director of ISHTAR, an organization dedicated to MSM’s health and social well-being through education, advocacy and health services in Kenya. He has been steadfast in the advancement of sexual health and rights of all MSM in Kenya and was the first inaugural board member of GALCK. He represents key populations for his country’s Global Fund team. Read more about Peter's work with ISHTAR.

Kennedy Otieno

Men Against AIDS Youth Group, Kenya

Kennedy works as a Program Coordinator at Men Against AIDS Youth Group in Kisumu. He is also an emerging champion for an agenda that integrates LGBTQ rights and HV prevention in Kenya. He is the chairperson for LVCT Health Key Populations Advisory Committee, a member of the KEMRI Community Advisory Board and Coordinator of the Gay HIV Prevention Network, among other positions. As a 2014 GLAM advocate, he mobilized access to safer condom-compatible lubricant, sensitizing hundreds of health workers. He also regularly sensitizes police around the needs and rights of the LGBTQ community.

Jacobus Witbooi

Pan Africa ILGA, South Africa — in memoriam

Jacobus joined Pan Africa ILGA having worked for UNAIDS in Namibia to coordinate the involvement of young people in his country’s national response to HIV. He played a formidable role in ensuring young people, including LGBTQ youth, were involved in various national response strategies. He worked for numerous civil society organizations involved in advancing human rights, including LGBT rights, the rights of people living with HIV and women’s and girls rights. A burgeoning LGBTQ leader across Africa and the globe, Jacobus passed away in November 2016. His continent-wide work will have a lasting impact, yet we mourn the loss of all that he would have achieved if he had continued to flourish. He will be profoundly missed. To view a short video made in his honor, click here.