A Day of Dialogue, Connection and Collective Action for Sexual and Gender Minorities
Kisumu Shinners recently convened a powerful hybrid dialogue, “Partners in Care: Advancing Men’s Mental Health Through Connection, Education, and Advocacy for Sexual and Gender Minorities.”
The event brought together community representatives, healthcare stakeholders, civil society organisations, partners, and members of the GBMSM and MSW communities for a day of meaningful conversations, knowledge sharing, and collaborative problem-solving.
The dialogue created an important platform to explore how connection, education, advocacy, and inclusive healthcare services can contribute to better mental health outcomes for men within sexual and gender minority communities.
Advancing Stigma-Free Healthcare
The event officially opened with remarks from Madam Dorothy Oketch, a representative of the Kisumu Ministry of Health Department. She highlighted the importance of creating affirmative and stigma-free clinical environments where individuals can access healthcare with dignity, respect, and without fear of discrimination.
Her message set an important foundation for the day’s discussions and reinforced the need for healthcare systems and providers to better understand and respond to the experiences of sexual and gender minority communities.
Following the opening remarks, Kisumu Shinners Executive Director, Mr. Polycarp Okeyo, welcomed the representative and participants, setting the tone for a focused day of dialogue and collaboration.
Connecting Communities and Partners
The event brought together a diverse group of participants, including Kisumu Shinners’ board representation, civil society organisation partners, SGM community-led representatives, and members of the GBMSM and MSW communities.
Both physical and virtual participants contributed actively throughout the programme. The virtual audience brought particularly strong engagement to the question-and-answer sessions and co-creation working groups, creating opportunities for participants across different locations to contribute their experiences, perspectives, and ideas.
The richness of the discussions demonstrated the value of bringing communities, partners, and institutions together to identify practical approaches to improving mental health and healthcare access.
From Dialogue to Action
Beyond the presentations and plenary sessions, the dialogue focused on collective learning and co-creation. Participants had the opportunity to exchange knowledge, raise important questions, and contribute to conversations around the challenges and opportunities facing GBMSM and MSW communities.
The discussions reinforced a shared commitment to strengthening connections between communities, healthcare providers, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders.
For Kisumu Shinners, the dialogue represents another step towards advancing healthcare equity in Western Kenya and ensuring that sexual and gender minority communities are meaningfully included in conversations that affect their health and wellbeing.
Building a More Inclusive Future
The success of Partners in Care was made possible by the commitment and participation of everyone who contributed to the conversation.
From government health representatives and CSO partners to community-led organisations and GBMSM and MSW participants, each voice added value to the dialogue.
Together, we continue to create spaces where people can connect, learn, advocate, and work collectively towards more inclusive and equitable healthcare systems.
Kisumu Shinners remains committed to advancing dignity, inclusion, connection, and healthcare equity for sexual and gender minority communities across Western Kenya.
