Partners in Recovery is GEM’s multi-year, holistic recovery program supporting LGBTQIA+ communities navigating overlapping crises, conflict, displacement, discrimination, persecution, and economic and social instability.
The program grew from GEM’s response to the 2023 earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye. After immediate emergency assistance, GEM recognized that survival was only the beginning. Communities needed longer-term support to heal, continue education, rebuild livelihoods, and regain stability and independence.
As new crises emerged across the region, Partners in Recovery evolved beyond recovery from a single disaster into a flexible model for responding to multiple and overlapping crises.
GEM’s response emerged in a humanitarian landscape where LGBTQIA+ people were often overlooked or unable to safely access mainstream assistance.
What began as one of the rare crisis responses centered specifically on LGBTQIA+ communities evolved into Partners in Recovery—connecting emergency assistance with longer-term protection, healing, education, livelihoods, and resilience.
“I felt at that time that my life was important to someone.”
— Program beneficiary
Individualized protection planning, confidential consultations, referrals, and support for people navigating complex and rapidly changing risks.
387 people received one-on-one consultations and tailored protection plans.
Safe, identity-affirming and trauma-informed mental health and psychosocial support tailored to LGBTQIA+ lived experiences.
256 LGBTQIA+ people received case management and mental health support through safe and confidential channels.
— Program beneficiary
Helping students continue their education when crisis, displacement, discrimination, or financial hardship puts it at risk.
49 students received tailored education support, including assistance with tuition, registration, transportation, learning materials, and equipment.
Building professional and digital skills, expanding access to remote work, technology and AI, and creating pathways toward income and greater economic independence.
50 LGBTQIA+ people participated in professional development programming focused on remote work and digital opportunities.
Support adapted as crises changed.
Support addressed displacement, loss of income, urgent needs, relocation, documentation, and pathways toward greater safety and stability.
Strengthening activists, human rights defenders, organizations, and service providers to deliver safer and more inclusive responses to LGBTQIA+ communities.
Partners in Recovery provides small-scale funding to local and domestic initiatives, volunteer-led teams, and grassroots groups, including those working in remote and underserved areas.
The approach supports both LGBTQIA+-led initiatives and broader initiatives that meaningfully include LGBTQIA+ people, strengthening inclusion, social cohesion, reconciliation, and peaceful coexistence.
Partners in Recovery connects immediate protection and humanitarian assistance with longer-term healing, education, economic independence, community action, and resilience.
The program is intentionally adaptive. As conflict, displacement, political transition, criminalization, and economic instability changed across the region, GEM adapted its response with them.
“GEM is a source of safety for me.”
— Program beneficiary
