From an early age, Carmela Curup Chajon and Olivia Sienchavez knew that the Guatemala they grew up in would not be the Guatemala they left behind. Today, from a small, unassuming office in Guatemala City, these women fight relentlessly for justice for Indigenous communities in court, leading AJWS grantee organization Bufete para Pueblas Indígenas (BPI), …
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At 73-years-old, Seynabou Male Cissé witnessed Senegal gain independence from French colonizers in 1960 — and then saw her home region of Casamance descend into armed conflict in 1982. True peace has been elusive in Casamance for decades. But Seynabou has devoted almost her entire life to making peace, freedom and justice a reality. After years as a teacher and activist, …
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Nita Bhil still remembers the moment she thought her whole life would fall apart. Her parents—bricklayers from a marginalized caste in India—had arranged a match for Nita’s sister. To save money, they’d decided to have Nita, their youngest of seven daughters, married off at the same time. She was 14 years old. “I was shocked; …
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Inside a cinderblock structure at the center of Santa Elena Rio Salinas, a small farming village of Indigenous Maya Q’eqchi’ Guatemalans on the border of Mexico, eight men have gathered to tell their stories. It’s late February, and the weather is warm and welcoming. But the meeting must be held indoors for the men’s safety — as they are …
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Rita and their classmates take a walk after school wraps. These young activists have already shifted local attitudes towards LGBTQI+ people. Photo by Luke Duggelby. “We all want justice. We all want a future that is fair. But we live in fear of being kicked out of our homes, being ostracized. We’re all looking around wondering who will …
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When we think of refugees—we think of war. But around the world, people are driven from their homes by other forces that rarely make the headlines. Today, nearly 70 countries criminalize homosexuality and queerness, with punishments ranging from imprisonment to the death penalty. These laws, and the social stigma and violence that they provoke, force …
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Since 2011, AJWS partner organization Y’en a Marre has been working to save Senegal’s democracy. In 2024, they began saving lives as well. That’s when Y’en a Marre opened KARIBU — a safe house for activists from nearby African countries who were forced into exile. KARIBU (named after the Swahili word for “welcome”) not only …
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Rachel Butacha, 25, Democratic Republic of Congo Rachel Butacha smiles when she explains that “my family name means ‘hope’ in my language. Even if someone is sick or upset, they can never abandon their ‘butacha.’” Somehow, neither has she. Today, Rachel lives at the KARIBU building in Dakar — the safe house for activists in …
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Mohamad Cisse, 35, Guinea Conakry “Since independence from France, my country has only known dictatorships — we have never truly known freedom,” says Mohamad Cisse about his home, West Africa’s Guinea-Conakry. Growing up in a middle-class family with eight other siblings, Mohamad finished university and became an engineer. But he saw how the high cost …
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On a recent afternoon in Bangalore, India, almost 100 people pack the auditorium of the city’s National Gallery of Modern Art. For over an hour, they witness something extraordinarily rare: eight middle-aged queer and trans people talking about their lives and dreams, their families and friends. It’s a professional performance complete with music, lights, sets, …
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