Cape Town - Cape Town Pride with OUTReach Africa hosted a market at the Sea Point Civic Centre, yesterday, in an effort to raise funds for a care centre for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Funds raised will go towards the realisation of the Nkoli House Project, which hopes to serve as a home and safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community.
The Nkoli House Project, named in honour of the late South African queer rights, anti-apartheid and AIDS activist, Simon Tseko Nkoli.
Diagnosed in HIV while in prison, Nkoli was one of the first black anti-apartheid activists to publicly identify as gay and HIV-positive, in the early 1990s.
The Nkoli House Project hopes to raise R1 million rand.
The Nkoli House Project is an initiative of Cape Town Pride and OUTReach Africa. The market was used to give vendors supporting the annual Cape Town Pride Festival, an opportunity, to sell their goods, as events go virtual this year.
Around 37 vendors were present selling pride merchandise, fresh produce, and food made by local vendors, among others.
Cape Town Pride Festival Director Matthew Van As said: “The current state is that we are still in negotiations. We have highlighted multiple buildings that we are looking at. As soon as one becomes available, we will be taking over that process.”
The Nkoli House project will also offer a care facility for queer senior citizens.
“It is of paramount need in our community. We don't have a community centre for the LGBTQIA+ senior citizens and care facility in SA as a whole. A lot of silver seniors that are in retirement have to go back into the closet because they can't access or afford private care. It is totally unacceptable for people who fought for our rights to now go back into the closet for their safety. It is a project that needs serious highlighting.”
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Cape Argus