The Humsafar Trust is at the forefront of supporting community-based organizations, support groups and initiatives that strengthen the voices of the communities at a National Level. There was a felt need to work in the semi urban and rural India and support LGBTQ+ communities in the younger India so that the health and human rights movement is consolidated, and the journey of equality finds an impetus to pave way for community engagement and ownership. It is in this endeavor that in the year 2016, Humsafar Trust initiated project CONNECT with support from Amplify Change to strengthen LGBTQ+ networks, support groups and build their capacities to promote human and health rights of LGBTQ+ communities in India.
The Project implementation began in November 2016 and over a period of next 6 years, the project received one costed and two no cost extensions and had a total budget of nearly 700,000 EUROS (approx. 6.5 Cr INR). During the six years period of project implementation, 25 CBOs, 10 Initiatives – Support Groups and 25 Individuals received support of which 20 CBOs and Initiatives stood strengthened while few could be not taken forward largely owing to COVID-19 pandemic concerns and lockdowns that happened during the two-year period but will be followed up for further strengthening in future. On June 23rd, 2022, 30 CONNECT project partners met at the National dissemination of CONNECT and expressed willingness to form CONNECT consortium and continue their advocacy efforts. The CONNECT Partners will implement national level activities that includes capacity building initiatives, advocacy initiatives and innovations that will influence attitudes of the communities and key stakeholders creating an enabling environment for LGBTQ+ communities in India.