Addressing the dynamic needs of LGBTQ+ people

1. Overview

The past three months have been a challenging period for the implementation of the Addressing the Dynamic Needs of LGBTQIA+ People in Tanzania project. While we were able to conduct two training sessions during the reporting period, reaching a total of 31 individuals, implementation remained significantly below the level originally planned because of continuing financial constraints.

The previous reporting period had already highlighted the project's funding difficulties. Despite these challenges, the organization continued to seek ways of maintaining essential activities with the limited resources available.

2. Activities Implemented

During the reporting period, LGBT Voice Tanzania conducted two training sessions that benefited 31 individuals.

The sessions provided an opportunity to continue strengthening community knowledge, skills and resilience despite the limited resources available to the project. The training also allowed us to maintain engagement with community members and sustain some of the networks established through previous project activities.

However, these two sessions represent only a small proportion of what had originally been planned.

For the first half of 2026, the project had planned to conduct more than 10 training sessions. Therefore, delivering only two sessions demonstrates a significant implementation gap. This shortfall was primarily caused by the lack of adequate financial resources to support training logistics, participant engagement, transportation, materials and other associated project costs.

We believe it is important to acknowledge this gap transparently rather than present the two activities as if implementation had proceeded according to plan.

3. Implementation Against the Plan     

During the reporting period, we were able to conduct two training sessions, reaching 31 individuals. While these sessions provided an important opportunity to maintain community engagement and strengthen knowledge and skills, the level of implementation was significantly below our original plan.

For the first half of 2026, we had planned to conduct more than 10 training sessions as part of our broader project activities. By comparison, only two sessions were implemented. This represents a substantial reduction in planned activities and reflects the financial constraints that have affected the project during this period.

The limited number of sessions was not due to a reduction in community needs or demand for the project. Rather, available resources were insufficient to support the frequency and scale of activities originally envisioned. Costs associated with participant mobilization, transportation, training materials, facilitation and other logistical requirements made it difficult to conduct activities at the planned level.

Nevertheless, the two sessions enabled us to maintain a degree of continuity and reach 31 individuals during a financially difficult period. We consider this an important, although limited, achievement. Our priority now is to secure additional funding so that implementation can return to a more consistent level and the project can reach significantly more LGBTQ+ people and community stakeholders.

Although the number of beneficiaries reached is modest compared with our original ambitions, the two sessions were important in maintaining continuity of engagement during a period when the project was operating with very limited resources.

4. Effect of Financial Constraints

The main factor affecting implementation has been the continued shortage of financial resources.

The project relies heavily on donations, and the level of funding received has not been sufficient to sustain activities at the scale originally planned. As a result, we have had to prioritize essential activities and reduce or postpone other planned interventions.

The funding constraints have particularly affected our ability to organize multiple training sessions, mobilize participants from different locations, provide transportation and logistical support, and maintain regular community-based programming.

This situation has also demonstrated that the needs of LGBTQIA+ communities remain greater than the resources currently available to address them.

5. Continued Resource Mobilization

Despite the implementation challenges, LGBT Voice Tanzania has continued to pursue opportunities to secure more sustainable funding for the project.

Most recently, we submitted a proposal to the European Union seeking support for our broader work and the needs addressed through this project. At the time of this report, we are awaiting feedback on the proposal.

We recognize that securing institutional funding will be important for restoring the project to its planned level of implementation and ensuring greater continuity in the delivery of activities.

6. Lessons Learned

The experience during this reporting period has reinforced an important lesson: community-based programming requires predictable and adequate financial resources.

The organization has demonstrated that it can continue delivering activities even under significant financial pressure, as evidenced by the two training sessions conducted during the reporting period. However, the reduction from more than 10 planned sessions to only two demonstrates the limitations of implementing a multi-component project through irregular and insufficient funding.

Going forward, we will continue to strengthen our resource mobilization strategy while seeking more sustainable funding partnerships that can support consistent implementation.

7. Priorities for the Next Reporting Period

Our immediate priority is to secure additional resources and resume project activities at a higher level.

Subject to available funding, we intend to prioritize:

• Increasing the number of community training sessions;
• Strengthening psychosocial and peer-support mechanisms;
• Expanding community awareness and dialogue activities;
• Reaching LGBTQIA+ people in additional communities;
• Strengthening community members' knowledge of their rights and available support mechanisms; and
• Building partnerships that can provide longer-term financial and technical support.

The outcome of the recently submitted EU proposal will be particularly important in determining the scale at which these activities can be implemented.

8. Conclusion

The May–July 2026 period reflects both progress and significant challenges for the project.

Two training sessions were successfully conducted, benefiting 31 individuals. However, implementation remained substantially below the original plan, which anticipated more than 10 training sessions during the first half of 2026.

The principal barrier has been inadequate funding rather than a lack of commitment or community need. Despite the financial constraints, LGBT Voice Tanzania has continued to maintain engagement where possible and has actively pursued new funding opportunities.

The recently submitted proposal to the European Union represents an important step toward securing the resources needed to restore and expand project implementation. We are currently awaiting the outcome and remain committed to ensuring that the project continues to respond to the evolving needs of LGBTQIA+ people in Tanzania.

We remain grateful to GlobalGiving and the donors who have supported this work. Their contributions have enabled LGBT Voice Tanzania to maintain important community interventions even during periods of severe financial constraint. Continued support will be critical to enable the project to return to its planned scale and reach more people in need.