Close Call

The Triangle Project (TP), a Cape-based gender and human rights non-profit, survived a recent funding crisis – barely. But the near-death experience cast some doubt over its longevity.

As the oldest LGBTI organisation in Cape Town, TP has faced financial pressure many times. But even its worldly staff walked away from the last ordeal a little shaken, in part because it underscored its uncertain future.

“Our financial situation is very serious,” says Matthew Clayton, research, advocacy and policy manager at TP. “Actually our staff members are making personal sacrifices. But NGO’s in South Africa typically survive on a knife edge – so much so that if one big international donor were to leave, they’d be in real trouble.”

TP plays an important role in supporting the LGBTI community. South Africa may be incredibly supportive to the LGBTI community. But according to TP community engagement and empowerment manager Sindiswe Thafemi, enjoying rights on paper and enjoying them in practice are different matters.

“The churches and community leaders are not really ready to help,” she says. “Some pockets of change exist, but there are still many problems with church and community leaders. The LGBTI community in South Africa depends on the Triangle Project. SAPS and the Department of Health don’t yet speak the language of healing and discrimination. If our doors close, it will happen at a time when we have just gotten our foot in the door speaking to elders in communities that can help young people.”

And at the level of policy, the best-intentioned proposals underestimate, or flatly overlook, key points. They need expert input. Clayton says that this is an essential function carried out by organisations like TP, which bring hard-won insights to the table.

“People like us make policy submissions all the time. We help when drafts of bills don’t reflect sound ideas on how the proposals will impact on LGBTI people. Sometimes a keen understanding won’t run through a bill. Say you have a bill on economic empowerment. But you can’t be empowered if no one will give you a job because you’re a butch lesbian or if you’re not gender conforming.”

According to Clayton, TP was due an emergency. It’s just not easy to run a non-profit in South Africa, for a number of reasons which range from donor habits among South Africans to misconceptions about government support.

“People don’t like giving in a debit order, or in a weekly way,” says Clayton. “[But] that’s not to say South Africans aren’t charitable. They’re actually incredibly charitable. But there’s less of a culture in South Africa of giving the way we as an organisation need to receive.” “[And] for a lot of people I think there’s an impression that NGO’s get a lot of help from the state – that they’re taken care of. But the only work for which we get state coverage is work that the state sees as its responsibility. It’s a misconception that we’re being looked after by the government.”

For more info or to find out how you can help the Triangle Project, visit www.triangle.org.za.