One Year On: TransStories Brasília
In early 2024, Sama Sama International, a UK-based social enterprise using tourism to amplify underrepresented voices, received one of our Community Impact Fund grants to bring an ambitious idea to life: a tourism experience in Brazil led by trans women, centred on their stories, and shaped by their lived realities.
As trans rights remain firmly in the headlines, with communities around the world continuing to face both legislative attacks and social stigma, as an organisation it feels more important than ever to support this project. By harnessing the reach and influence of tourism, TransStories Brasília transforms travel into a tool for social change, creating a platform where trans voices are not only heard but celebrated, and where tourism becomes a vehicle for empowerment.
The idea came from Jayni Gudka, founder of Sama Sama, whose work has long focused on creating travel experiences that offer deeper connection and visibility to marginalised communities, having led Unseen Tours in London. In collaboration with local partners, she envisioned a project that could provide not only training and employment, but also dignity, agency and belonging.
One year later, the groundwork has been laid. From building strong partnerships to designing a bespoke training programme, the project is gently taking shape.
Here’s a look at what has unfolded over the past 12 months — and what’s coming next.
Laying the Groundwork
The original plan was to launch in São Paulo. However, when the initial partnership fell through early on, Jayni made the decision to shift focus to Brasília. The pivot paid off.
After reconnecting with local allies, Sama Sama signed a partnership with Casa Rosa, a respected LGBTQIA+ community centre that provides safe housing, resources, and opportunities for trans women and LGBTQIA+ people in the capital.
This partnership has brought long-term sustainability and a connection with the community of women the project is designed to support.
Listening Before Leading
Over the past year, Jayni has visited Brasília to meet with stakeholders, connect with Casa Rosa’s community, and listen to the stories, needs, and aspirations of the women who will eventually lead the experiences.
These visits also allow the team to adapt their early assumptions. An initial idea to create walking tours around Casa Rosa’s neighbourhood was reconsidered after community feedback and consultation with local tourism officials raised logistical and safety concerns.
Instead, the team is now designing an experience in safer, more central parts of the city. This change preserves the integrity of the storytelling while ensuring safety and comfort for both guides and guests.
Training and Tour Design
The first major workshops will take place this May. Thirty participants from the trans and wider LGBTQIA+ community will come together to share stories and ideas. These sessions will shape the design of the tours and ensure they reflect a wide range of lived experiences, voices, and identities.
From this group, six women will be selected to join a fully funded, 30-session training programme running from May to July. The programme will prepare them to become experience leaders, equipped with the tools, confidence, and support to share their stories with visitors.
Media Coverage and Early Recognition
In its first year, the project has already received the recognition it deserves. It was awarded Silver at the 2024 Latin American Travel Association (LATA) Responsible Tourism Awards, and has been featured across several national media outlets including BrasilTuris, Pheeno, GayBlog, and Athosgls. This visibility has brought new awareness to the project and, most importantly, to the voices behind it.
Reflections from the Community
Perhaps the most powerful indicators of success have come from the community it is designed to serve. As participant Bebel Mendonça shared:
“It was wonderful to meet Jayni and see this project come to life. We need initiatives like this that create opportunities for trans women in Brazil.”
And from Pedro Gustavo Matias, coordinator at Casa Rosa:
“The TransStories project is an important social technology that brings empowerment and dignity, with new alternatives for work and income generation for a population that is systematically abused in our country.”
What’s Next
Like many grassroots initiatives, progress has come with its challenges, particularly around funding. While Sama Sama had sought additional support to fully deliver the training programme, the decline of global funding for projects like this, combined with the increasingly difficult legislative climate for trans communities worldwide, has made it harder to secure the grants originally expected from several Brasília-based embassies.
For that reason, Sama Sama is now reaching out to its community of friends, supporters, and allies to help raise additional funds via a crowdfunding campaign.
Sama Sama is aiming to raise a minimum of £13,200 to help fund:
£3,500 will fund a participant’s place in the training programme, including a stipend for two months. (The goal is to fund six women)
£500 will cover each of the storytelling and training workshops to help collect and curate community experiences that will enrich the tours.
£10,400 will fund a one-year apprenticeship for a new customer service and sales officer, supporting the long-term sustainability of the project.
You can support the campaign here.
The year ahead will focus on training, tour development, and community testing, with familiarisation trips and feedback sessions planned for late 2025. TransStories Brasília is still in its early chapters and we’re excited to hear what comes next.
