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Bridging Gaps Newsletter
JANUARY – JUNE 2026
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The Landscape We Are Working In
Ghana’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Awaits Next Steps
In May 2026, Ghana’s Parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which criminalises identifying as LGBTQ+ and imposes significant penalties for supporting or promoting LGBTQ+ activities. The bill now awaits presidential action; President Mahama has said it will undergo legal review by his advisers and the Attorney General before any further steps are taken, and could be referred to the Council of State, given that it originated as a private member’s bill rather than a government-sponsored one.
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This is exactly why HAF’s SRHR services, mental health support, and human rights advocacy matter as much as they do right now.
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This is the environment our work sits inside. We remain committed to our community through whatever comes next.
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Special Feature — SRHR
The Impact of the Funding Freeze
In 2024, HAF launched two pioneering HIV projects supporting young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in Ghana’s slum communities. Just as the work began showing results, both were abruptly suspended when a sudden freeze in U.S. foreign aid cut off their funding.
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Projects like LAFIYA do more than deliver HIV services, they create safe spaces, affirm identity, and offer hope.
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Without that funding, HAF cannot sustain HIV testing kits, education sessions, linkage to care, or psychosocial support for the people who depended on it.
Read the Full Story → |
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Mental Health
“You Are Not Alone”: Mental Health Awareness Session
On 29 May, HAF hosted a virtual mental health discussion and video screening for youth, LGBTQI+ community members, and staff, drawing 32 participants. Facilitators Michael Tetteh and Ezekiel led a screening of HAF’s own animated mental health awareness video, followed by discussion on recognising stress, anxiety, and depression, coping strategies, and a guided journaling activity, alongside a share-out of HAF’s Rapid Response Services and counselling contacts.
Alongside the session, our Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team led the design and rollout of a Mental Health Needs Assessment for gay and bisexual men, building the evidence base that will shape how HAF’s mental health support evolves next.
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Project Spotlight
Rooted in Joy: An Anthology Launches
On 19 May, we officially launched Rooted in Joy: Stories of Queer Resilience, Resistance, and Belonging in Ghana, an anthology of fifteen first-person accounts developed with CIVICUS’s support and curated by Emmanuel Odonkor.
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Twenty guests joined contributors, partners, and staff for the unveiling and an Authors’ Read and Reflect segment, where contributors shared their own words in their own voices.
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The anthology is now available, a milestone for queer storytelling in Ghana.
Read the Book → |
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Looking Forward
Mental Health: We will continue running periodic awareness sessions, analyse and share findings from the Mental Health Needs Assessment, and use participant feedback to sharpen future sessions.
SRHR: We are actively seeking alternative funding to resume LAFIYA HIVST and Status Neutral, and will keep donors and partners updated as that search progresses.
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Stay Connected
Follow Hope Alliance Foundation for more updates between newsletters.
+233 53 128 8854
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This message was sent to you because you are a donor, partner, or community contact of Hope Alliance Foundation.
Accra, Ghana
www.hopealliancefoundation.org
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