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A few words about Trans Wellness Project

In 2014, I lost my job as community coordinator at Gender DynamiX. Devastated as I was at that time, I didn’t let that broke me as I very soon realise that the trans and gender diverse people, especially those in the rural areas needed an organisation that can; while fighting and advocating for their human rights; also give services to them on the ground.
History
Who we are
Organizational Direction
History

I started to have conversations with other activist, and everyone thought that I is a great plan as everyone saw the need for such an organisation. While working for six months in 2015 for AIDS Legal Network (ALN), I on the side start working on getting the organisation registered. With an indept conversation with my sister and confident, Leigh Ann van der Merwe: executive director of S.H.E, I decided to call the organisation the Protea Psychosocial Support Project for Transgender People (PPSTP). And so, the organisation was registered in August 2015 as PPSTP.

The first board was elected with the following structure. Tina West (chairperson), Maharani Peters (Vicechair), Leigh Davis (secretory), Sifiso Dladla (treasurer) who passed on in 2016 and was replaced by Nelly Mahloko, Brian Sibeko and Carol Musikanth as MC board members. At a strategic planning meeting in 2016 which was funded by The Other Foundation and facilitated by Liesl Theron; founder and first executive director of Gender DynamiX, these board members and several community members decide that the name should change to Trans Wellness Project (TWP) as that name will speak more to our vision and mission

TWP started off with a needs assessment in Kimberley, Taung, Soweto, Pietermaritzburg which was financially support by Gender DynamiX with Sibusiso Kheswa as executive director at that time. As time goes on, we get funding from HIVOS (now known as Hlanganisa Institute for Development in South Africa) to do some outreach work in Bredasdorp. We also received our second portion of money from The Other Foundation to do safe space groups and training with community educators in towns like Sibokeng (Gauteng), Calvinia Northern – Cape), Taung North West, Kuruman Northern Cape, Bredasdorp (Western Cape), Lutzville (Western Cape) and Mangaung (Free State). We also start being part of the South African Trans Forum (SATF).

In 2017/2018, the organisation goes through a real difficult time with changing of board members and not having funding to do work (funding currently a challenge) and in 2019 a whole new board was elected. Slowly but surely things are started to follow into place for the organisation and as the founder and executive director, I can see the big change happened in the organisation as from the start.

Many people asked me if I started the organisation because I was angry with Gender DynamiX. The answer is: of course, I was devastated to lose my job and income, but I was never angry. As a rural trans identified person myself, I know that trans and other gender diverse people are left out of programmes and projects because the distances to travel are too much for organisations. Our voices are not really heard, and we kept on being at the back log.

Services in the rural areas are full of discrimination as organisations and departments tend to think that people do not know their basic human rights. In the rural areas people in positions still think they are the almighty and can treat people as how they which to especially our trans and gender diverse people. Our community die of AIDS and suicide because of the discrimination and until today it is still the case AND THAT HAS TO STOP.

For the future, we are planning great things for the organisation and forming new partnerships and strengthening the current partnerships. I want to thank everyone who assist me in my dream and helping Trans Wellness Project to be the best organisation it can ever be. I especially want to thank my family for keeping up with me and my sister for given me an office space to do this very important job as because of the lack of funding, we still do not have an office.

My motto in life is: “everything starts with the ability to dream.”
Dankwa, Dankie, Thank you, Siyabonga, Enkosi.

Who we are

Trans Wellness are operating in the rural and remote areas of South Africa. We holistically work with issues faced by trans and gender diverse people. We do this work by supporting trans and gender diverse people, their parents, siblings, partners and the greater communities by raising awareness, creating safe spaces and assist them to get in contact with service providers for gender affirming health care, psychosocial and legal support and support in general.

We want to make sure that the rural and remote areas in South Africa are safe environments for trans and gender diverse people as we believe that everyone has the right to live their lives according to their gender identity and gender expression in a safe environment as enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa.

Our services include, but are not limited:

Research
Access to hormones and surgeries
HIV/AIDS and TB Management
Health and Productivity Management
Wellness Management
Partnership Development
Financially Viability

Organizational Direction

Mission statement

Our mission is to take a holistic approach in the health and wellness of trans and gender diverse people in the rural areas of South Africa.

Vision Statement

Trans Wellness Project envision a South Africa where the needs and challenges of trans and
gender divers’ people in rural and remote areas are included in programming, research and
policies and procedures.

Objectives

Putting our energy in rural and remote areas of South Africa and focusing on trans and gender diverse people in a holistic way, we want to focus on: Research, Access to hormones and surgeries, HIV/AIDS and TB Management, Health and Productivity Management, Wellness Management, Partnership Development and Financially Viability