Tamba Pwani

Tamba Pwani in Swahili means ‘on the move at the coast’. It was founded by  40 members/and for  Gay men, Bisexual men, Transgender men and Male Sex Workers within Kilifi County (from Mtwapa to Malindi) in November 2010, given the urgency to increase awareness about MSM community and their health needs, in the face of ignorance, stigma and discrimination and violence.

The organization serves Gay men, Bisexual men, Transgender men and Male Sex Workers to bring reforms through trainings, workshops, experience sharing, media, in and out-reaches, in human rights and sexual health eradication, awareness, treatment and sensitization as it affects GBT & MSWs and empower them economically.

The organisation is led by five Board members and three staffs, who are all devout volunteers. The organization has six trained counsellors, 40 peer educators, one financial professional and one medical professional who lend their invaluable advice or services for free in order to meet the objectives, mission and vision of the organization.

Mission: To bring reforms through trainings, workshops, experience sharing, media, in and out-reaches, in human rights and sexual health eradication, awareness, treatment and sensitization as it affects Gay men, Bisexual men, Transgender and Male Sex Workers and empower them economically.

Vision: Equal access to health and human rights.

Tamba's focus areas include

• Policy Advocacy and Networking; This component entails establishment of effective and sustainable relationships, networks, and partnerships with the local public health institutions to improve MSM targeted sexual health related services and improve respectful sexual health services delivery to our constituents. TP has been working closely with the ministry of health (MoH), National Aids and STI Control Council, APHIAPLUS/ Nairobi-Coast, The Omari Project, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), and the County AIDS Control Council to sensitize and build the capacity of local health care providers to respectfully offer sexual health services to MSM and Sex workers.
• Education and Risk Reduction: This component entails reaching out to the MSM and male sex workers with sexual health and rights messages, activities, and safe sex packages. This component is largely members driven, with our 40 peer educators charged to reach out to at least one person per week with information on HIV/sexual health education, risk reduction as well as distribute condom and water based-lubricants. This component also carries the prevention-with-positive (PWP) project, in which Tamba Pwani members living with HIV are put into group cells for support to promote adherence to treatment, provide psychosocial support, and promote healthy living.
• Service Delivery: This component entails working closely with partner organizations and health facilities to provide sexual health services to MSM community in a safe environment. We work closely with Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust HIV/STI project, APHIAPLUS Nairobi-Coast, International Centre for Reproductive Health Kenya (ICRHK), Kilifi County Hospital, and Malindi Sub-County hospital. We have been able to organize door-to-door HIV Testing and Counseling (HTC) services, offered referrals for HIV care and treatment as well as provided safe sex packages to our members.