Community Health Rights Advocacy (CHeRA) is a non-governmental organization advocating for the health rights of minority groups in Malawi. Established in 2017, the organization is based in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, and operates in six core districts. CHeRA works to enhance Malawi’s male and trans sex workers’ capacity to take up agency for their rights, protect each other from violence, and foster active citizenship.
With support from the Red Umbrella Fund and Open Society Foundation, CHeRA achieved a landmark victory: male sex workers were recognized as a distinct population in Malawi’s Revised National HIV Strategic Plan (2020–2025).