Tales of resilience: a photo story from Ecuador

In Ecuador, one in three transgender people are living with HIV. Yet many do not access public HIV prevention and treatment services due to stigma and discrimination – and COVID-19 is making the situation a whole lot worse.

In 2020, as the pandemic’s first wave battered Ecuador, we spent time with transwomen Dayana Ashley Quimi De Los Santos, Tatiana Mora Gomes and Fernanda Baguel to understand what their lives are like and how COVID-19 is affecting them and the wider trans community.

Although their worlds may differ, all three spoke of the brutal toll of the pandemic and say it is community-based organisations like Kimirina, our partner in Ecuador, along with friends and family that provides the support trans people need to stay healthy and resilient.

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